


Scavengers

by Follow (Scheska)



Category: Infinite (Band)
Genre: AU, Fantasy, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-28
Updated: 2014-09-07
Packaged: 2018-02-15 04:56:18
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 28,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2216586
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Scheska/pseuds/Follow
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He had always loved the tales</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> \- The inspiration for this story was ignited by an overdose of medieval-ish fantasy novels, and fueled considerably by 30 seconds to mars' music.
> 
> \- It's a long oneshot with a very short intro.
> 
> \- Mild violence.
> 
> \- English is not my first language.

_Dark… Black… Cold…_

It made justice to all the tales and rumors I had heard during my short life.

_Their breath is like the frozen wind of winter, the darkness of the night their cloaks, the silence of death their voice. Their eyes show no light, no love, no mercy, no warmth, they are dark and cold and hard, sharp like the razors in their claws, like the fangs in their mouths._

It moved slightly, an ominous shift that shortened the distance between us a step or two. I found it hard to breathe, the cold biting at my body, the fear squeezing my thoughts. It shifted again in a way I could not comprehend, and then, to my surprise and confused horror, it bent over, twisted and moved until it split in two, a big, bulky half and a thinner one.

_They slither through the darkness, silent as shadows, inconspicuous until they decide to show themselves, they look big and imposing, stoic and distant, but they’re twisted in their minds and bodies, they crave for cruelty and despair. They rot your mind as much as your body does once they’re done with you, they have foul thoughts, as decayed as their hearts… They lack souls, the stench of death and suffering follows them, the sounds of feral anticipation flow from their crooked jaws once they shed their secrecy. They mock your misfortune, they laugh at your pain, they enjoy your suffering, they feed on your despair and fear. They round you like vultures when you are broken and weak, but still willing to fight, because they relish on ripping the hope out of you, shred by shred._

_They’re monsters, dear, they’re cruel creatures that exist for the only reason of getting rid of the poor souls that have the misfortune of stray off the road, they’re nothing but scavengers, boy, that’s what they are._

_Scavengers…_

The word echoed in my head as I watched it slid in the shadows around me, its figure vague and hidden, its sounds a mixture between a muffled growl and a ghostly shift against the ground. A hot, hollow feeling filled my chest, all I could think of were the horrors I had heard these creatures enjoyed inflicting upon their victims.

I could only pray then, that the tales were all lies.

 


	2. Scavengers

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> -Sorry if you spot any typos.

He had always loved the tales.

Since he was a little boy, stumbling behind his mother’s legs as she walked through the market, shying behind her whenever someone would try to talk to him, since he had a memory he had loved to hear the tales and stories the travelers brought from the unknown lands. These rough looking men would frequently gather the attention of the locals, usually for bad, but there was always a little bunch of curious people that would welcome them and their experiences, inviting them a drink and asking for news. And more than half the time the foreigner would accept and spread their adventures and colorful knowledge to the interested crowd that condensed near them. Contradicting their harsh looks, the travelers that he enjoyed so much tended to be friendly people, animated and full of energy, ready to amuse their listeners with the stories of their own travels or maybe tales they had picked up from other ones they had talked to. But they were also rare, so every chance he got to meet one was a treasured moment for him.

When he was nothing but a child, he had hungrily believed every word that poured from these men lips, drank their amazing worlds, the fantastic creatures, their intense journeys like the adventure-thirsty boy he was. As he grew he came to accept that half of what they said was a lie, exaggeration and imagination served them to enlarge the somewhat mundane happenings and make those tempting for the ears of the bored local people. He still admired them, though, because no matter how much of their ventures were true and how much was made up, there was no denying their bravery, their wandering spirit and the beautiful collage of experiences that built their lives. So he still sat around them, after dinner time, around the heat of the fire of the taverns, rough cups of tea or warm milk in the hands of the young, some mugs of ale in a few men’s hands. All the attention focused on the man that pictured a whole new world with words to them.

That’s how he came to know about big mountains tall enough to break into the highest skies and hide way up above the clouds, of dry deserts so desolated that nothing but strange, spiky plants and even stranger lizards could be found, of frozen lands so white that you could go bling by just watching, of seas so vast that your eyes could not see the end no matter how much you sailed into them. He knew there were people across the ocean, people tall and broad, with skin as black as coal and teeth as white as a swan’s chest, people with pale skin and bright hair that shone under the sun like strands of gold, with eyes big and blue as the sky or green as the grass in summer. He knew there were strange animals that your brain could not fathom by itself, animals with necks as tall as trees, with skins hard and rough as rock, with horns growing from their foreheads or long noses that reached the ground. He knew about people that celebrated winter and feared the summer, of people that killed their own to some unknown deity in search for favors, of people that lived among wild animals, of people that did not know what a cow or a horse was. He knew about wars so distant and foreign as cruel and devastating, of diseases that had annihilated entire cities in ways that made your skin crawl, of mountains that had vomited the earth’s insides and burned down everything around, of gigantic waves that rose from the ocean and swallowed the earth.

He knew so much, and so little at the same time. He craved for this stories, he needed them to satiate his own spirit’s hunger for more, to appease the call of the outside world to his soul. But as time passed by, his mind and body grew restless. For all his life he had existed behind the tall walls of his hometown, inside the thick barriers of the big city that bustled with a life he knew all too well. He could count with his hands the times he had ventured outside, and never even close to breaking past the frontiers of his people’s lands. But the place was starting to feel too tight on him. He wanted to go beyond the outer gates, he wanted to see the ocean, he wanted to walk past the farms and lazy herds, he wanted to explore the forests and climb the mountains. He wanted to know more, he wanted to see more, he wanted to _live_ more.

It had occurred to him at some point, still too young and green, about following one of those travelers outside, almost done it twice, but he didn’t manage to gather enough courage. The constant warnings from his mother and other city folks had him full of doubts and insecurities that made him desist of any wild impulse of abandoning the safety of the city.

When his mother faded away under a high fever during an especially harsh winter, all that remained holding him in place were stories and memories. His father was long gone, victim of bandits on his way through the merchant’s roads when he was barely able to walk, his older brother disappeared outside the city and was never found, and his acquaintances didn’t have power enough over his emotions to hold back his growing hunger for escape. Now he was alone, forgotten and barely subsisting by poor jobs and the pity of some of his parent’s old friends. It wasn’t a life he enjoyed; it wasn’t a life he’d miss.

He had thought that after losing his mother, his last bond to the city, he’d wait no more to break free and make a way of his own, the wonderful and dreadful worlds pictured by accented tongues lured him out with maddening force… But the mysterious charm of adventure and freedom was shadowed by the uncertainty and danger of the outside; the looming shadows of his father’s and brother’s deaths were a grim remainder of it. One told him about the unpredictable dangers that humans meant for each other, of the risks that the hunger and cold made some men take. The other, though, carried an veiled threat; it had been the night what had taken his brother away from him, the night and its inhabitants. 

He had heard of similar things from different places, some people feared big, furry creatures that lurked behind the wild in search for lonely humans to feed, some other feared big, bulky men, dressed in skins and horns that ransacked towns and villages sparing nothing they could make no use of. There were some towns, entire lands that feared snakes long as six men put together, squids bigger than a war ship or big, scaly creatures with molten insides that slept inside mountains and burned everything once they woke up. There were dangers everywhere, some more understandable than others, some real, some other legends to the living.

_Scavengers_ , it was the name the local people called the creatures that were said to lurk in the shadows of their lands. No one had seen one properly and lived to tell. All you would hear about them were half formed images of shadowy figures, tall and wide, quiet as the air and quick as the wind. They were said to follow you even if you didn’t see them, sheltering their big bodies in the darkness and watching the men and women live distended, with no knowledge of the danger that ghosted right behind them. They attacked the lost, the weak, the bold, anyone that strayed from the roads too much, anyone that darted further that they were allowed to, anyone that lost their hope or courage just a bit too far from home. They would stalk them like vultures, timing their moment before the strike; sometimes they left the remains of the victim, the horrors of their deaths implicit in their corpses, the bodies thrown back like a sick warning to the people in the city, but others, they made them vanish in the darkness.

Leaving the safety of the city was forbidden; those who lived outside would shut their homes tight and wait for the sun to come back. Scavengers didn’t break into houses or the town, they respected the boundaries of the people’s homes, but they held no mercy for those that forgot their own reign in the wildness.

_They’re big as bulls, coarse skin black as the night,_ some would say, _they are lanky, disgusting creatures, tall as trees, with gray, feathered bodies and rotten mouths_ , others would assure, _they have no known form, they are shades, spirits that shift and float as they see fit, that’s why no one can see them_ , another bunch would believe.

“What do you think they look like?” he was asked one night by one tall, lonely traveler when the topic surged.

He shrugged “I’ve never seen one” he had answered.

“No one knows for certain how they look like or the sounds they make” a young man said near him “If anyone sees them, then they’re dead already. All that is known is that you can hear the bells of death when they’re near you, as a last warning for you to _back off_ ”

A nervous shifting and hushed murmurs moved among the people in the tavern.

“Strange” the traveler said, resting back on his chair and taking a long smoke from his wooden pipe “It’s the third time I walk this road and not once had I seen anything remotely strange”

“They don’t usually attack travelers” the woman that was serving said as she walked by.

“And why is that?”

“Travelers are tough minded people, roughed up and with strong will” she said, placing a sturdy mug filled with ale in front of a heavily built man “And they have a destination clear in their minds, bravery in their hearts and sharp blades in their belts, so it doesn’t lure them closer, no. They are attracted to the lost ones, the foolish, the weak minded, the fickle, the poor minds”

The traveler watched her with interest for a while, then winked at her and smiled “You seem to hold us wanderers in good light”

She smiled back “I do, good sir” she said, then walked back to the kitchen, making sure her hips swayed a bit more than usual.

The night wore off, the curious little crowd left, the fire at the heart of the tavern bathed only the traveler and the owner of the place beside himself.

“I heard leaving this place while dark is forbidden?” the foreigner said.

“It is” the owner answered.

“Because of these… scavengers?”

“That’s correct”

“I see…”

“You were planning on leaving tonight?” he asked the man.

“Not now, but before dawn, yes. I’m in some hurry, you see”

“Well, bad luck my friend, you won’t be able to leave until the sun rises again” the owner finally said, standing up and marching to the kitchen. He looked back before walking through the door “Oh, and about you boy, sorry but we can’t lend you the room tonight”

“Sure, I understand. Thank you, anyway, sir” he nodded as the owner retreated.

“Mhh…” the traveler seemed to be thoughtful for a while, eyeing him silently for some uncomfortable seconds after they were left alone, the silence around them heavy until he spoke again “Tell me, boy” he started “how well guarded are the gates here?”

“Sorry, what?”

“You heard me” the man smiled.

“You are not planning of…” he looked around and leaned in, lowering his voice “sneaking out, are you?”

The man copied his secretive demeanor “Oh, but I am, my friend”

“You can’t!”

“Look, I need to leave quickly”

“Why?”

“I don’t believe it’s any of your concern”

“Wh- Oh… Sorry”

The man chuckled “Don’t worry”

“But you really shouldn’t”

“So many things I shouldn’t have done but did anyway, and here I am still” he smirked “Now tell me how well guarded the gates are”

“They’re pretty damn well guarded, sir, it would be foolish to try to get out through them” he said.

“Oh, but I’m sure there has to be some other way out then?”

“What? No, there isn’t” he shook his head, but it was a lie. There was another way, used during the somber hours near the night by smugglers and people of the category. It was in one of the sewer’s tunnels, a rupture on the iron bars of one of the outlets, _the tear_ was how its users named it.

“Really?” the traveler mumbled, his raised eyebrow denoting that he had not been fooled “At least try”

“What?”

“It seems to me that you don’t even want me to believe your lie”

“I’m not…” he faltered, then sighed, to the other man’s amusement.

“Mh…” the traveler fell quiet for a few moments, and when he spoke again, his tone was almost conversational “Tell me, I think I’ve seen you all the times I’ve stopped here”

“Uh, well, yeah…”

“I see the anxiety in you”

“What?”

“I saw it the first time I came here, three years back, and I still see it now, even stronger”

“What are you talking about?”

“You want to leave”

“I… I don’t-” he stopped, what sense had to lie anyway? “Well, yeah”

“What’s holding you back then?”

“I’m not sure…”

“Is it your family?”

“Got none left here”

“Oh, sorry to hear that” the man muttered before continuing “What then? Friends?”

“No, not really…”

“Some girl?”

“W-What? No, no, nothing like that” he felt his face warm up a little.

“Then?”

“I… I don’t know if I’ll ever make it”

“Make it where?”

“I… I don’t know” he fumbled with his fingers “And… It’s very frowned upon for any local to leave like that”

The man barked a laugh “So what? Why should you care about that?”

He shrugged “Anyway, it’s not like I have money or knowledge to fend for myself outside”

“The kind of knowledge you need is mostly gained by experience, young man, and money…” he shrugged “I got enough on myself to share some with a friend in need”

He blinked at the man in confusion “What?”

“I can offer you a deal” he said in a low voice.

“What kind of deal?”

“I’ll help you out of here, give you some money to start off, maybe some other stuff, I’ll take you wherever you want to go so you can set off on your own…”

“But-“

“If you help me out of here before dawn”

He didn’t know what he was thinking, what was wrong with him, but the burning need for a break out had struck him hard and quick and before he could understand what he was doing, he was shaking his hand with the traveler.

“Your name?” the man asked.

“I… Uh… W-Woohyun”

“Alright, Woohyun, I’m Sungyeol, nice to meet you”

“Yeah…”

“Hope we can help each other out”

 

 

* * *

It was a cold night, even if it was already spring and the winds carried more rain than snow, the darkness still held its cold bite. The sky was clear and splashed with bright stars, the moon shining pale among them, casting its cool light over the blackened lands. In the city, though, the soft glow was not quite discernible, the torches and fires lit inside the walls rivaling with the placid moonlight and pushing it outside, swarming the dark, humid streets with their orange, wavering light.

As he stood in the middle of a narrow alley, battered cloak wrapped tightly around him and cold feet covered hastily in a bundle of rags and cord, Woohyun contemplated the rise of the land as the city moved deeper. The crooked silhouettes of the shacks and rundown little homes that swarmed the outer area looked like nothing but a heap of dirt in contrast with the inner space.

_The walled city_ he had heard several travelers call the place where he had lived his entire life, and he thought the name fitted quite well.

Walls. His hometown seemed to be rather fond of walls. There was the city wall, tall, thick and grey, with heavy gates and guard to keep the dangers out, and the people in. The palace’s wall, bright and almost white, its top carved and its sides smooth as polished marble, the gate rich in garnish and vigilance. There was the _poor wall_ , a low but stoic barrier that delimited the bigger portion of the city, its big and lively _core_ , from the dirty outer part, where all the outcasts and city filth gathered under weak roofs or none at all. The _grey ring_ it was, the poorer side of the imposing city, and Woohyun’s home since some years ago, left only when he managed to snatch a little job in the core or someone’s pity allowed him in. Finally, there was the outer wall, the _stone belt_ , they called it, a sturdy but mostly rustic, crude wall of coarse stone that marked the union between this people’s lands and the unclaimed wild plains that unfolded beyond until the earth met the ocean and the little flimsy port city waited. That humble town subsisted almost only by the business the walled city carried to its port, because the main influx of trade was driven through the bigger harbors, to the west and nearer to the other big cities and their many trade roads.

Yes, walls and isolation was something the people there was accustomed to, and something they seemingly wanted to keep. If the walls and distance were not enough, then the threat of the scavengers roaming the outskirts would do. It seemed like it was what they needed, a wall to keep them in, miles and miles of bare nature and hidden bandits to discourage any route to a neighbor town, and a bunch of blood thirsty, ruthless, horrific creatures to dispose of anyone that could promote an adventurer spirit among the locals.  

A grim sigh left him with a puff of pale air, and he rubbed his feet together to get some warmth out of it. He looked around him nervously for what should be the fifth time and moved a step closer to the damp walls of a rundown little house. The slurred discussion between a few men not far away mingled with the sounds of the grey ring in the night, nothing too pleasant, honestly, but quieter than usual at least.

Another little step to the wall and he was starting to reconsider his deal with the unknown traveler. This Sungyeol guy had promised him a good payment for his aid, but promises were too easily swept away, and he had no means to keep him to his word if the man decided not to carry on his part. He’d end up stuck in a really nasty situation if a guard caught him near the tear, or the sewers even, and laws were hard and unforgiving for trespassers, even worse for someone from the grey ring. Then again, he could also end up alone in the night outside the walls, and he wasn’t sure which option was really worse.

_Maybe I’ll end the same way anyway_ , he thought. The authorities would not think twice before throwing out a criminal from the grey ring, so one way or another, he’d probably end up in the claws of a scavenger.

Now, what if he retracted from the deal and stayed? What hope awaited for him in the walled city, really? Starving in the dirty alleys of the outer side? Catching a nasty illness and getting eaten by the rats? Getting murdered by a thief for his battered cloak, maybe? No matter how optimist he tried to be, he knew there was no hope for him there, the pity of the old acquaintances was running thin, it wouldn’t last forever and, if he had to be honest with himself, he hated to be depending on it, but the scarce, meaningless jobs he managed to grab were worth nothing but a meager meal… And, if he gave it some thought, they all came to him through the aid of someone else.

The grim prospect of his future added fire to his burning need for an escape. He had considered leaving the place even when his life was less miserable, so why falter now? Why nourish doubts when he had what he never had before? Someone willing to help him out.

His thoughts were cut short when someone hit his side, making his gasp and jump away, ready to run for his life, for what it was worth.

“It won’t do you any good to space out like that, you know?” the hushed voice of his soon to be partner in crime sounded half amused.

“When did you get here?”

“Never mind that, do you have all you need?”

“What do I need?” he asked, suddenly worried that he didn’t have whatever he should and would compromise the escape.

“I don’t know, is there anything you need?”

He blinked confusedly “I don’t… know?”

“Good, then, let’s go” the traveler nodded curtly and pushed lightly at Woohyun’s arm.

Still a little unsure, he guided them to the very edge of the city, where the wall rose from the ground, the stone humid and smudged in moss, mud and dirt and located the old, dried splash of sheep blood that formed a hook over a lump of stone. _This is the mark, alright_ , he nodded for himself. From there he followed the thin trail of uneven protruding stone that led them to the poor wall. The entrance to the tunnel was on the other side and there was no way they could just cross walking between the guarding men at the gate, less so given the time of the day, so they’d have to jump over it, it wasn’t really tall after all. It was yet another risk, though, but the lesser of them. If they were to get caught, they could just run back to the grey ring and lose themselves in the messy alleys. The guards would not waste their time looking for them.

Sungyeol interlaced his hands and crouched slightly, offering a boost without even being asked, as if he was used to the situation. Woohyun didn’t bother to ask, just stepped on the offered palms and hauled himself over the wall with the help of some final pushes from the traveler. He was still above, turning back to extend a hand for the other man when the traveler’s arms surged from below and latched onto the stone. He could only blink in surprise as the man climbed up almost effortlessly and jumped down to the other side in admirable silence. It took him a second to realize his compromising position and climb down himself, only not so gracefully.

From there, the trail was easier to follow, a line of stone blocks clear on the ground walked them for a little stretch until they met the opening of the tunnel, an arc half buried that swallowed the carved canal of muddy water. 

“Why is it always the sewers?” he heard Sungyeol mumble in complaint, but decided not to comment on that.

They stepped in with caution, the cold water reaching only over their ankles, and made their way in. The bottom was slippery, but the water was decently passable for walking, if only muddy, as it was mainly carrying the dirt of the street and rain. The real disgusting part was further in.

The smell grew stronger as they padded inside, the narrow, low passage giving way to the wider tunnels that run under the city. From there, Woohyun knew only so much, so he sent a silent prayer so his feet would be guided well, because getting lost in the web of underground channels was no laughing matter.

“Alright, my trustful guide, where to now?” Sungyeol whispered.

He was about to answer, when the acute smell of kerosene overpowered the rancid stench of the water for a moment, then the orange glow of fire revealed the damp walls around them as well as the face of the man beside him. The traveler was holding a torch in his hand now.

“Uh… It’s…” he looked around, repeating the instructions in his head for good measure “That one” he pointed to the tunnel that opened to their left.

“How sure are you about it?”

“I’m… I’m sure, that’s the one” he nodded.

Sungyeol eyed him sharply for a moment, then nodded too “Alright, then, let’s go”

They stepped down from the narrow passage to the thin, wet walkways that framed the channels of dark, pestilent waters and followed it to the big arch that led to the tunnel Woohyun had pointed. The squeaks of the rats accompanied them as they walked, the nauseating smell of the current made their heads ache and stomachs twist, but fortunately, their path was a short one, and soon enough the cool brush of the clean air mingled with the stench of the sewers and the faint glow of the moonlight welcomed them to the final gate.

A little whisper of success preceded Sungyeol’s quick and awkward stepping towards the iron bars. The man crouched down and held the torch for Woohyun to hold it as he looked closely.

“You said there was some kind of breakthrough here, right?”

“Uh, yeah”

“Where, exactly?”

“I… I’m not sure, I’ve never used this route before” he shifted nervously in place, the heat of the torch making drops of sweat travel down his face.

The man hummed “Well, I hope we can find it or we’ll have to turn back- Oh!”

“Did you find it?” he leaned in closer.

“I think I just did. Put some light here” he instructed.

The traveler shook the bars of the bottom corner firmly and then pulled upwards. The iron moved up with a loud rattle, but it seemed to be only a square fraction of the whole thing. Sungyeol then tried pushing and pulling until he managed to release the bottom of the bars from their place and moved them back and forth. He finally made the little opening by pulling back the movable fragment of the bars, the iron screeched against the motion but offered no resistance aside from noise.

Sungyeol wasted no time in slipping out and disappearing outside. Woohyun hesitated for a moment, wondering if the man had gone away and left him there on his own and if he should go back while he still could. A hurrying whisper from the other side shook his musing from his head and prompted him to follow the traveler’s lead instead.

The clank of the iron bars falling back in place after him sounded so definite a sentence as a wonderful opportunity.

 

 

* * *

They found their way to the road after a while of wandering in silent caution, the torch was still burning in Sungyeol’s hand, but its light seemed much more insignificant now that they were outside.

“Very well, now that we’re out, do you think the guards might come after us if they see our light?” the man asked.

“I don’t think so”

“And do you think the light might lure these scavenger creatures near?”

“I… Uh… I don’t…”

“I suppose your attitude says enough on that matter” Sungyeol said, then kneeled down and placed the torch over the moist ground. He scooped up a handful of soil and covered the torch with it, effectively extinguishing the fire.

Woohyun could only gasp in horror and take hold of the man’s sleeves with fingers and nails when the darkness engulfed them both “What are you doing?” he whispered in alarm.

“Well, we don’t want those things to see us, right?”

“They can still see us!”

“Don’t worry, we’ll be quiet”

“There’s no way-! They’ll find us anyway!”

“Well, let’s move quickly then” the traveler said standing up.

“How can you see anything?” Woohyun breathed out, still in slight panic.

“I can’t yet, just give it a moment”

“We can’t wait a moment, they’ll come for us!”

“Didn’t your people say that they attacked the weak minded ones?”

“What?”

“That attitude of yours is going to get us eaten then”

He gaped at the faded silhouette of the man “I… “

“I understand that you grew up to these stories, but you have to remain calm if we want to survive. Isn’t it that way?”

“Y-Yes… But”

“Don’t worry, I’m absolutely calm, so we only need you to settle down your fear”

“Easy to say” he mumbled shakily, trying to calm down without much success.

“Listen…” Sungyeol said in a hushed voice “Listen around us, do you hear anything?”

Woohyun took a moment to listen carefully, searching for anything out of place that could alarm the other man, but all he perceived was calm; the whisper of the tree tops brushing in the wind, the crickets and owls calling out vaguely, the faint, sleepy murmur of the water somewhere in the distance.

“Just… The night” he finally said.

“Exactly, just the night, nothing more”

He held that reassurance close, guarding his hopes in the belief of that single spark of forgiveness the tales granted to the creatures, the fact that they announced themselves to their victims as a last warning. The bells of death were silent, they were safe.

“Alright… Alright” he whispered, tempering his nerves and quelling his breathing “Just the night, nothing more”

“That’s right” Sungyeol’s hand dropped amicably on his shoulder “So let’s move on, my new friend, we have a long way on foot and the farther we go the harder for that city of yours to catch up with us when the sun comes back”

“Yes, let’s go” he nodded, still finding it hard to believe that he was really abandoning his secluded life and the isolation of the oppressive walls in favor of a whole world of new horizons.

Even in the dark, he allowed himself a little smile.

 

 

* * *

The moon was high in the sky, thin as a silver thread on a black cloth. The wind was gentle but cold, and the soil moist under their feet. The city was almost gone, visible behind their backs only by the tiny spots of light from the upper levels of the palace; its highest point. The rest was eaten by the ground they had walked and backed by the grey mountains far behind it. The road was narrowing slowly, the woods were inching closer from the sides, the silence was still there.

“Are we going to walk the night away?” Woohyun dared asking in a little whisper.

He waited for an answer for a while, but only steady steps replied. When he thought he would get no response, Sungyeol sighed “Probably” was all he said.

“Are we going to step into the woods in the dark?” he tried again, his anxiety more evident.

“We’ll see”

“That’s not wise, it’s really dangerous”

“We’ll see, Woohyun, just keep walking” the man insisted, his tone ever so calm.

_You’re going to get us killed!_ He protested in his mind, not daring to push the man’s unknown temper just yet. He would have to, though, if he showed no intention to avoid the forest. It was dangerous, not because of the possible bandits, which weren’t really a solid threat until much further ahead, but because the woods were the home of the scavengers. Intruding during the night to their main domains was like asking for a painful death.

He let pass some time, walking in silence besides the figure of the traveler before trying one more time to reason with him.

“Maybe we should-“

“Quiet!” the man whispered suddenly, stopping and pulling at Woohyun’s sleeve for him to do the same.

“W-what?”

“I told you to keep calm, didn’t I?” the man asked in that calm, nonchalant tone of his.

“What? But I am calm”

“Are you sure? Be silent and listen, would you?”

“Bu-“

“Listen” the man’s hand tightened around his arm.

Woohyun kept quiet and tried to listen again, and it took him nothing at all to hear it, the little metallic jingle in the distance made his skin crawl. He breathed deeply to remain calm, but his heart was already pumping faster.

“It’s… Maybe it’s a rider” he tried to disregard.

“Yes, maybe” the other man’s voice sounded all but convinced.

“We’re too close to the woods, that’s the problem” he insisted.

“No, you’re panicking, that’s the problem. You need to calm down”

“Calm down? We’re about to be torn apart and you tell me to calm down?” he whispered agitatedly, his voice almost breaking through.

“Yes-“ he quieted, a heavy silence engulfed them for a second, then the ominous little bells sounded again, much closer.

He swallowed a mouthful of air and felt his legs falter “Oh no, no, no, it’s too close!” he whimpered, hearing an annoyed click of tongue near him and a firm tug to his arm.

“Come on, we have to move!”

“Move? Where? It’s going to get us anyway!”

“Just move!”

Sungyeol pulled him forward and resumed their walk, the metallic sound approaching them steadily from behind. He was sweating and heaving in fear as the other man guided him with quick steps, the sound of the little bells swarming his head and filling him with dread. He didn’t know where they were going, a brusque turn had led them off the road and now the wet grass moistened their clothed feet and ankles. He had tried to stop the traveler from leading them astray, because it was only making it worse, walking off the road and closer to the woods was not the best thing to do, but the creature was already after them, so he figured it would do little difference.

“We’re going to die” he whimpered again “We’re-“ he gasped loudly when he heard a sudden rustle behind them, the jingling of the bells was closer than ever, only a few yards from them.

Sungyeol halted abruptly and turned around, the noise of steel sliding telling Woohyun that he had probably unsheathed a weapon of some kind. He didn’t know if he could feel relieved about it, he had heard that there was no blade sharp enough or hand with skill sufficient to fight back one of these creatures, but some blind hope made him think they stood a chance… Or that would have been, maybe, if the traveler had fought for them. The man, though, laid a hand on his shoulder and sighed.

“Well, my friend, this is it”

“Wh-what?”

“Run!” he called before turning around and running off.

“Wait!” he started after the man “Don’t-!” but the sound of heavy steps behind him froze the blood in his veins.

The astonishment and confusion made him falter in his steps, sending him stumbling forward a few times, the dark silhouette of the other man faded soon enough in the shadows of the night, the pale moonlight only painting vague shapes and movements too far ahead from him to reach. He tried running faster, if only to get away from the creature, but then a big dark figure jumped ahead of him, the rattle of metal leaving no doubts for him that this was as far as he would go.

“Please wait” he heard himself say “S-sir! Sungyeol!” he called with faint hopes, falling on his butt as he tried to step back.

The creature moved closer, a deep growl accompanying the mocking jingle of the bells. He crawled back a few steps, but his muscles were frozen in fear and so was his brain. He was still mumbling and whimpering, calling for the traveler to come back for him as the many stories the people had told about the dreadful creatures ran through his mind. He wished fervently to be sleeping, he wanted all to be a nightmare, to wake up in the damp little corner of the dirty shack in the grey ring, cold and hungry, but with a day of life ahead.

The creature was still standing a few feet away, barely moving closer, then it shifted noticeably, bent and twisted and split in two. Woohyun could only gasp in horror as he watched the two parts move, the jingle of metal accompanying every move. He was rooted in place while one of the halves moved closer, he was still sweating cold and shaking, his heart hammering his chest and his soul cold with fright, the bells sounded cruder and less melodious, the simple brush and rattle of metal against metal.

There was a low growl and the moving half stopped, its silhouette still mingled with the other one, then he heard steps, hurried and messy. Someone was running, and it was getting closer.

“Hey!” he heard a voice, the feet growing louder.

He felt a sliver of hope inside him, still not daring to move. _He came back!_ he thought, thanking the heavens that the traveler had returned for him, but not quite comprehending why. Before he could consider any reason, though, the steps halted just behind him, the panting now evident.

“You sure are slow, aren’t you?” he heard from behind, the amused tone confusing him more than the reckless approach.

Not understanding what was going on, he turned back, and did so just in time for a bright light to swarm their surroundings. After blinking the brightness away, he noticed Sungyeol’s face, his crooked smile and sweaty forehead, then the torch in his hand and the labored breathing that moved his chest.  Before he could appreciate the return of the man any further, the rustle of chains behind him made him crawl back towards Sungyeol and whip his head to the threatening sound.

He was scared of what would happen, scared of what he would _see_ in the light of the torch, what kind of nightmare would take shape in front of him, he almost closed his eyes not to be presented with the frightening image the stories described. He held the vague hope that the fire would maybe scare the creature off, but, after a startled wheeze and a yelp of surprise, he found himself completely stunned; he was somehow staring at the figure of a _man_ glaring down at him.

He couldn’t comprehend the situation, the absence of the monstrous creature or the tall, proud figure standing instead. He thought maybe he was hallucinating, maybe he was already dead, but time kept passing by and the man was still glaring down at him. It was Sungyeol who broke the spell of bewilderment.

“Well, here it is” the traveler said, nudging Woohyun’s leg with his foot “You were really expecting some hideous monster to be crawling towards you, weren’t you?” he asked amused.

Woohyun only let out a strangled noise, and then gasped and backed off when the unknown man shifted, only to stand in a less rigid pose. The jingling sound that accompanied the movement seemed to defrost Woohyun’s mind from the confusion, and he finally ran a surprised glance over the person in front of him. The man was dressed in black clothes, rough fabric and leather wrapping him from a hood to a pair of heavy looking boots. The clothing even covered his hands in gloves and masked half of his face, letting Woohyun see only his eyes and forehead. He noticed then the chains, dark and lengthy but rather shiny, wrapped around the man’s waist and hanging a little in loops from the sides. Chains, the _bells of death_ were nothing but chains. And there were blades, sheathed in dark leather at both sides of a thick belt wrapped twice along the chains. All in all, the man looked ominously threatening, if the dark look in his eyes was not warning enough.

Millions of questions were dancing in his head, but he dared voicing none. He inched closer to Sungyeol instead, but a deep growl sent his heart into a mad race once more, and he remembered the other _half_ of the creature. The bulky figure had apparently retreated at some point, still hiding in the shadows outside the light of the torch.

“What is that?” Woohyun heard himself ask in a shaky tone, unable to stop his voice.

He heard Sungyeol chuckle lightly behind him and a shift from ahead. When he looked up at the unknown man, he saw a single, thick eyebrow raised for him. Even though the look was still hard, the gesture gave the man the human semblance Woohyun’s eyes had failed to find until then.

“That, my friend,” the traveler said finally “is going to be your ride”

It took him a moment to understand what Sungyeol had said, and by the time he did, the traveler had already bent down and was scooping a handful of soil.

“N-no, no wait, don’t-” he stammered, but the light of the torch extinguished and darkness engulfed them before he could even tame his tongue.

The moment the shadows returned around him, he threw his hands around until he found Sungyeol’s legs and held tight.

“Come on, stand up” the man said pulling at his arm “You shouldn’t make him wait”

“What? I’m not going anywhere!”

“Believe me, it’ll be better if you just do as I tell you”

“I don’t… Just, no! You told me…”

“Stop already Woohyun, stand up” the traveler instructed patiently, hauling him up on his feet “Don’t worry, I intend to keep my word, I’m taking you out of that cloistered city, am I not?”

“I want to go back!” he tried to walk back, but something big and hard stopped him.

A huff of hot, rotten breath brushed his neck and nestled in the back of his throat. He would have complained, had he not known what it meant, but the vibrating rumble behind his back was enough for him to understand the nature of what stood a foot from him.

“Don’t move now, alright?” Sungyeol’s voice warned him, sounding worried for the first time since they met, and it only served to increase the gnawing fear that was running rampant through him.

A guttural sound bubbled just beside him, the moist air hitting his ear. His legs wobbled and his grasp on reality started to slip from him, but a strong, steady hand took hold of his arm and he could almost feel the terror decant to his feet, releasing him from its fierce grip. He heaved a long sigh and let himself be guided shortly somewhere, a few feet to the side and then back.

“Are you sure this is safe?” Sungyeol’s voice inquired somewhere near him.

There was no answer besides heavy steps on the grass. He didn’t realize then that the traveler’s voice came from somewhere to his right, whereas the reassuring presence was closely holding him by his left arm. All he could think was that he felt safe, even with the growl of a big indiscernible animal still rumbling a few feet from him, he finally felt his breathing quell and his limbs cease to shake. Something fell over him, something warm and heavy, a hooded cloak that reached past his knees, and a pair of unwavering hands fastened it tightly around his frame. He saw nothing but the man’s silhouette under the cold moonlight, soft hints of his covered face and dark clothing as he turned and patted two times the back of the big animal. The creature immediately crouched down, presenting its wide back to them. Before he could mouth his reservations, the strong hands of the man pushed him forward and an arm rounded his waist, lifting him only enough for him to understand that he’d mount the creature on his own or forcibly. Caught by surprise, he hastily threw a leg over the animal’s back and fell softly on it. He remained rigid, even holding his breath as the man climbed up with incredible ease in front of him and patted the creature’s thick neck. Woohyun felt his insides twist in fright as the animal rose on its legs and let out a soft rumbling noise, not quite a growl but intimidating still. He instinctively gripped at the stranger’s clothes, hoping he wouldn’t be angered, and bent his legs upwards to avoid touching the beast’s back as much as he could.

“There he goes! See? He’s a natural” Sungyeol joked, patting roughly at Woohyun’s leg.   

Any retort he had in mind died in the surprised yelp he squeaked out when the animal started walking, his fingers squeezing the heavy fabric of the stranger’s clothes.

“W-wait!” he managed to whimper “Sungyeol!”

“Don’t worry, friend, I’ll see you soon enough!” the traveler waved his hand at him, not making any motion to follow them.

“What? No, wait! Don’t do this!”

“It’ll be alright”

“I’m going to be _killed_!”

“Calm down, friend”

“You can’t leave me alone!”

“But you’re not alone!” the other chuckled.

“Sungyeol!”

“You’ll be just fine!” Sungyeol called, his figure growing distant as the creature kept moving towards the woods “Just be obedient and stay calm!”

“No! Plea-!“

“Quiet” a new voice grunted, and it took him a moment to realize it had been the stranger riding with him.

He would have protested given any other time, any other situation, but right then he only pressed his lips shut and casted one last pleading glance back.

Sungyeol was already gone, and the dark trunks of the trees ahead were only a scarce mile away. He tried to remain calm as he silently rode behind the unknown man, the heat the creature emitted warming his legs and the soft shuffling of its feet on the grass surprisingly soothing his nerves. The other man didn’t say a word, only stayed tall and sure in his place, his only movement being the gentle sway that the walking of the animal transmitted to them both. Woohyun didn’t dare say anything, just exploited the silent permission to hold to the man’s clothes. When they crossed the first trees, the light of the moon dimmed notoriously and another soft rumble vibrated in the creature’s back. He didn’t know what it could mean, but found himself slowly relaxing his limbs and breathing deeply into the cool night air. Only a moment later, the rush of emotions and the long night caught up to him, and his head was falling forward and his eyelids dropped close. Sleep numbed him gently and the back of the stranger felt warm against his cheek.

 

 

* * *

He woke up confused and disoriented, dreams and memories mixing together in a strange piece that deceived him for a few seconds. When he realized it was a dream, he groaned softly and tried to turn, but the wet, cold feeling of grass under his arms brought him back to his senses quickly. He rose on his elbows, blinking the sleep as he watched around him. Tall trees surrounded him, a little open space spread in front of him, green grass and scattered mats of tiny flowers covering the ground. The moonlight was gone, the sky was purple and pink and the sun was probably just about to come out.

And he was alive. Alive and apparently unhurt, if only a little bit cold and aching for his nap on the moist ground. He sat up, and a heavy, dark cloak fell to his lap. He pulled it up to his chin without thinking, the cool air of the morning was sending tiny shivers through him.

The shuffle of plants and feet startled him and he turned to see a man walking into the little field and towards him. He recognized the dark clothing, but the hood was pulled back and his face uncovered. The man stopped by him and dropped to the grass sitting cross legged, then setting to study him intently.

Woohyun felt extremely uncomfortable, having the stranger sitting inches from him and staring at him with such persistence, but he tried to use the chance to look at him better. In the light of the new born morning and with all clothing away from his face, the man looked really different from what he had looked the previous night. He had big, unsettling eyes, thick lips and prominent cheekbones, his brown hair was a little messy and his pose quite scrambled, bending over with his elbow on his knees, a leg bouncing repeatedly and his head on one of his palms. He looked more like a bored child than anything else.

“Alright, city boy!” the stranger suddenly said in a loud voice, straightening his back and slapping his own thighs before offering a hand to him “Name’s Dongwoo, yours?”

Woohyun gaped at the man slightly, still trying to come to terms with what was happening “I’m… Woohyun” he mumbled, taking the man’s hand and letting the other shake both vigorously.

“Well, Woohyun, a pleasure to meet you!” the man, Dongwoo, said with a smile so wide Woohyun thought his face was going to split in two by the row of big, white teeth. He wasn’t sure if the image was comforting or threatening, but nodded nonetheless “So? Did you enjoy your first ride?”

“Excuse me, but…”

“He told me you fell asleep almost immediately-“

“I don’t-“

“-That’s good!”

 “What? Sorry, but who are you?”

“Me? But I just told you” the man smiled again, and a strange laugh bubbled from him in a way it made Woohyun smile without realizing.

“I meant… I mean…”

“Yes, I know” Dongwoo lowered his voice to a normal level and regarded him with a calculating glance, his mouth set in a somewhat unnerving smirk “You need not to worry, Woohyun, you’ll see when the time comes” he finally said, dropping a soft pat on his shoulder and standing up.

“Wait, what do you mean? Can’t I ask you some questions?”

“Sure, you can! Go ahead” Dongwoo smiled at him.

“Well, first thank for this” Woohyun said, handing the cloak back to Dongwoo, but then noticed that the man had one over his shoulders “Uh…”

“Ah, no, that’s not mine” he shook his head “You should keep it with you until he comes back”

“He? Who is he?”

Dongwoo blinked at him in question “What do you mean _who_? The man who brought you here, the person that lent you a shoulder to sleep, the guy who had you crawling in fear in the ground?” he retorted, an amused chuckle topping his words.

“What? He didn’t-I wasn’t…” he sighed “Then it wasn’t you?”

“No, of course not, I’ve been here the whole time. Oh, look, there he comes” Dongwoo waved to someone behind him “He woke up” he called to the other person.

Woohyun turned around and saw yet another darkly clothed man approaching, and this time he knew it was the same he had seen the previous night. Those eyes were hard to forget, sharp and dark, glaring at him with a coldness he found hard to understand.

“Uh… H-hello?” he tried.

The man spared him a curt nod and then walked past him. _Alright, I’m still alive, that’s good enough_ , he convinced himself. But then a deep grunt and heavy rustle had his attention back to the limits of the clear, and he saw the shadow of the big creature slipping between the trees. He jumped back and tried to run away, but a quick look around proved his safety still with the two men.

Dongwoo seemed to have noticed his sudden fear “What is it, Woohyun?”

“That thing is still near!” he squeaked.

“Thing? What thing?” the other asked, his face setting into a serious expression that contrasted greatly with his previous friendly disposition.

“That!” he pointed to the place he had seen the animal, but there was nothing “It was there! Just a moment ago!”

“I don’t see a thing” Dongwoo mumbled walking towards the spot.

“It must have…” Woohyun looked around “... moved?” he mumbled, the hair on the back of his neck standing on end when another soft grunting sounded near him.

He turned around to see that the creature was standing just a few yards from him, its bright orange eyes focused on him. All he could see at the moment were its eyes and size, he didn’t notice that the man with no name was standing right beside it.

His knees gave out and he fell to the ground, unable to move.

“What happened? Oh! She finally showed up” Dongwoo was saying “What are you doing down there, Woohyun? Stand up and introduce yourself” he pushed softly at his back, the smile on his face ever so cheerful.

“What… What…?”

The still nameless man walked closer to him and, to his horror, the beast followed him. He scrambled back but Dongwoo’s legs stopped him.

“What are you doing?” the other chuckled.

“I think it’s how he introduces himself” the nameless man spoke, the most Woohyun had heard him so far, and then talked to him “Stand up, you, she won’t harm you”

“Is that a joke?” he spat.

“If you want to be harmed just tell me and I’ll see to it” the man said with a low tone.

“Oh, wait” Dongwoo’s chuckle surged again “He’s just scared, I think” he meddled “Come on Woohyun, stand up and say hello, she really won’t hurt you”

“S-She?”

“Yes, it’s a she”

“What are you going to do? Is it going to eat me?”

“What _it_? Mind how you speak!” the nameless man surprised him with a stern voice.

“W-what?”

“She won’t harm you but if you keep that attitude _I_ will”

“What?”

“Stop asking _what_ and stand up at once” the man barked under the cloth covering his face, his eyes piercing and fierce.

Woohyun was feeling a dense mixture of anger and fear at the moment, and wasn’t sure which emotion was stronger or which one he should act on, but decided soon enough that the best course of action would probably be to obey the heavily armed man with the dangerous creature. He stood up in shaky legs and avoided looking at anyone, fixing his eyes on the grass under his poorly covered feet instead.

“There you go” Dongwoo prompted gently from behind him “Just do as he tells you, no need to fear”

He only grunted in response, still angry and too nervous to dare insult any of them. He heard steps coming close, more than a pair, and then the dark boots of the unknown man peaked into his field of vision. He expected another harsh order or a yell, but instead he found himself being softly taken by the arms and guided forward a few steps.

“It’s alright if you’re a little scared” he heard the man say in a gentle voice that had him snapping up his head. He was met by the same pair of sharp eyes, but this time the face was uncovered and the hood pulled back.

He had only enough time to notice the man’s surprisingly soft features when the looming figure behind him froze him in place. There they were, the big orange eyes in the animal’s big head peaking over the man’s shoulder.

“Oh heavens…” he breathed out.

“Just let her come to you” the stranger said, his hands firm and unrelenting, keeping him still.

The animal moved closer, Woohyun could not take his eyes from the bright glare, did not know what to do as the creature stood right in front of him and stretched its neck to sniff him. The hot air ruffled his hair, the wide, wet nose brushed slightly against his cheek and then retreated back. His hand was then guided up, and he noticed a little too late that the man was trying to place it over the beast’s head. He tried to pull away, but the strength of the hold would not budge. His fingers touched short fur, then his palm flattened over a wide, warm forehead, the eyes of the creature fell closed for a second, then it walked back and without a glance disappeared between the trees.

Woohyun stood motionless, his hand still up in the air and his mouth gaping. He tried to speak, but his voice failed him and a pitiful little squeak came out of his mouth instead. Still stunned, he turned to the person beside him, who was still staring at him, but the glare was reduced to a simple serious look. The man lifted a hand and Woohyun instinctively flinched, but the feeling of a warm palm smoothed over his hair made him blink his eyes open in mild surprise. The man was still looking at him with the same expression, a hand steadily petting his head and the other still holding his arm, if only more softly.

“Wasn’t that hard, was it?” the man said in a soft voice.

Woohyun found himself unable to speak again. He thought he should be mad at the guy, still angry and maybe offended for being treated as a child or a dog, but the stranger’s hand was somehow soothing and warm, and he could feel the anger and anxiety drain out of him once more. _Again… How does he do this?_ , he wondered, but the matter concerned him less than he expected.

“Can I…?” Dongwoo’s voice broke in dubiously, and the stranger retracted his hand from Woohyun’s hair.

“Sure, get ready, we’re good to go now” the man said curtly, walking away.

“Wait!” Woohyun called before he could stop himself “Are you ever going to tell me your name?”

“You didn’t tell him your name yet?” Dongwoo asked in mild shock.

“There were more important matters to think of” the other man said, but directing a thoughtful look to Woohyun, he finally offered with a polite nod “I’m Sunggyu” then walked into the trees.

 

 

* * *

Sunggyu was a confusing man, Woohyun decided. He had first appeared as a black, looming figure of death and fear, lurking behind him like a predator would follow its pray, but after that he had let him ride with him and allowed him to hold onto his clothes, wear his cloack and sleep on his shoulder. Then he had treated him harshly, throwing threats and orders with an air of superiority and a lack of patience fit for a general, but then there he was, gently helping him up the imposing creature and tightening his heavy cloak over Woohyun’s shoulders once more, even allowing a few soft pats on his head before mounting in front of him.

His confusion must have been evident in his face, because, soon enough, Dongwoo laughed and reassured him “Do not worry, Woohyun, he’s strange like that”

“Huh? N-no, I don’t think he is” he tried to amend.

“It’s alright, he won’t take offence, he knows”

Woohyun glanced worriedly at the man in question, but he showed no sign to be concerned by their conversation, instead fixing the leather straps that hugged the animal’s torso and the rustic saddle they were sitting on. Woohyun turned to speak but the pull of the creature’s walk shut him up with a gasp. He looked down at Dongwoo and noticed he was still standing.

“Wait, you’re not coming?” he asked.

“Yes, I’ll be catching up to you in no time” the other smiled and waved before walking back and disappearing from sight as the trees closed around them.

He didn’t feel comfortable enough to talk with Sunggyu yet, so he remained quiet and awkward for a while, glancing around them at the deep forest and the few animals that darted in the distance, the sounds of birds he had never heard before, the calls of animals completely new for him. He also watched what he could see of the beast they were riding on, he leaned to the side to see the powerful muscles that showed under the short, glossy fur, the big paws sinking in the mud and grass, the thick neck and the pointed ears that twitched to different directions from time to time, as if they were catching numerous sounds Woohyun could not hear. The wide back was warm and moved more than that one of a horse, so he was swaying noticeably, sometimes feeling like he would fall off of slide, so he kept a tight hold on Sunggyu’s clothes and his legs pressing to the saddle. The other man was incredibly stable, unlike him, but that should have been a matter of experience. Who knew how long this man had been in the company of the beast?

That reminded him of the circumstances that had brought him to the current situation, and the questions in his head finally burned his tongue enough for him to speak up “Are you…?” he started, his voice sounding loud and invasive in the quietness of the forest. When he tried again, his tone was barely more than a whisper “Are you really a scavenger?”

Sunggyu tilted his head in his direction a little, then turned to the front again with a tiny shrug of shoulders “That’s what you call us”

“So you are?” he wanted a clear answer, but it looked like he wouldn’t get one so easily “You said _us_ , right? So there are more of you?”

“You saw Dongwoo”

“Oh, right” he found it hard to believe that the friendly man was a scavenger as well, but, then again, he couldn’t quite picture Sunggyu as a merciless murderer either, though he did look more prone to acts of violence “Are the stories true, then?” The man shrugged again, but said nothing in response, so Woohyun decided to drop the matter for the time being.

A while later, he found himself studying intently the soft and glossy appearance of Sunggyu’s hair, not able to understand how the man managed such thing, when the tiny creak of a branch startled him. He was not even going to look, as he thought it had probably been a squirrel or a rabbit, but then a voice made him jump on the saddle and almost fall to the ground.

“Found you!” Dongwoo called.

“How-?” Woohyun gasped in shock. Dongwoo was riding yet another of those big beats like the one that was now carrying him “Oh, heavens, another one?”

“Well, of course! Were you expecting me to go on foot?” he chuckled his weird, contagious laugh at him.

“N-no, but…”

“Do not worry, he’s as friendly as her”

“Her?”

“Ah, you’re still having trouble with it?”

“Sorry?”

“That is a girl” he pointed to the beast under him “And this is a boy” he patted his own ride’s strong neck “Not that hard, isn’t it?”

“I… suppose?” he struggled with his mind to not be too frightened by the situation “Is that one yours?”

“Mine? It’s not like we own them”

“What? But they are your rides”

“Well, something like that, but they are not ours like a bag or a sword, not even like a horse” he looked thoughtful for a little moment, and then he smiled, wide but soft “They’re our friends, our partners, if you want to put a name on them”

“Friends?”

“Yes, we don’t own them, they don’t own us, we just chose to be together… Or well, no, but something like that” he laughed.

“So, you all have one of… One of them as a friend?”

“All of us? Oh, did Sunggyu tell you about the others already?” Dongwoo asked wide eyed.

“Other? No, what others?”

“Ah, thought so. Pay no mind, you’ll meet them soon enough. But as for your question, yes, we all have our own partners. It may be a little hard to understand, but each of us share a strong bond with them, and we trust each other with our lives. None of us would ever doubt the loyalty of one of our partners, no matter the situation. And the same goes for them, they trust us over anything and we honor that trust” he leaned in and patted his _partner_ ‘s side “Don’t I?” he asked, to what the animal grunted pleasantly, throwing his big head back to push Dongwoo playfully and earning a light chuckle from the man.

Woohyun was surprised by the little display of intelligence and affection the big creature had just shown “Uh… Well, that sounds…” _rather nice_ , he thought, even when the simple idea of being near one of those animals still had his stomach tight with apprehension.

“You’ll see soon enough” he heard Sunggyu’s quiet voice, but when he asked, the man said nothing more.

 

 

* * *

He could hear a soft, appeasing sound growing closer as they advanced. The wind was starting to sneak through the trees and the call of new birds reached them from not far away. The air smelled different too, though he couldn’t quite discern how. A little while later he finally recognized the sounds, the constant murmur of water and the soft whisper of the wind mixing together. He was about to ask about it when the trees gave way to an open extension of land. The green was bright and clean for a few miles, dropping unevenly in rocky steps in some parts, descending softly in others. Then it met the water, a deep blue field bigger than any other Woohyun had ever seen.

“First time you see the ocean?” Dongwoo asked.

“I… Is this…?”

The other chuckled amused “Yes, this is the ocean. Quite big, isn’t it?”

“Yeah…”

“Close that mouth or flies will get in”

Woohyun immediately shut his gaping mouth and looked startled at Dongwoo, but the other just laughed at him. He was about to protest when he felt the air wheeze out as the animal under him crouched suddenly. Sunggyu stepped down and held a hand to him.

They settled down near the trees, beside a big rocky formation, the two beasts disappearing into the forest again as the two black clad men started putting up a fire. Woohyun tried to be helpful, but he was soon forced to sit in place by a curt order from Sunggyu.

“You’re going to scare him off” Dongwoo chuckled.

_Not like you didn’t do so already_ , he thought, _I just couldn’t run away_. He let out a sigh and rested his back against the rock behind him, watching as the sky started to show the first hints of deep purple and red while the sun dropped under the horizon. The starts were already shining high.

“Well!” Dongwoo dropped close to him, busying himself with lighting the fire as Sunggyu walked off into the woods, the sound of the chains handing from his hips growing further until he could not hear them anymore.

“Where is he going?” Woohyun asked.

“Who? Oh, Sunggyu? I guess he went to catch some dinner, or maybe spend some time with her, I don’t know”

“Does he know how to find her in the dark?”

“Of course he knows. A dark forest is no rival for him, for us in any case”

“You see in the dark? Like cats?”

“What?” Dongwoo looked up at him with an eyebrow raised, then burst out laughing “Ah, you’re a funny one! We can see no better than any other human being in the dark. Maybe we’re more used to it, we’re familiarized with the night and the wilds, but we have no… _feline_ attributes”

“Oh…”

“No matter what you’ve heard before, Woohyun, we’re just as humans as you are”

“No, it’s not that… I mean, I’ve never heard you were humans”

“Oh, yes I know. _Crooked creatures_ , aren’t we?” Woohyun shrugged uncomfortably “I’ve heard some of those, but seriously, feathers?” he laughed, but the sound was hollow and humorless.

“Well, no one has ever saw you…”

“Yes, I know that too”

“So you _are_ the scavengers after all”

“That’s what you call us”

“Sunggyu said the same thing”

“That’s how it is” Dongwoo shrugged.

“But is it true then? The tales about you?”

“Depends on what tales you are speaking about”

“Well, about the… I mean about you killing people that walks alone? Or that you enjoy making them suffer? Or that you hunt the weak ones?”

“You people sure like to have monsters around, huh”

“What do you mean?”

“Well, I won’t tell you we haven’t killed anyone”

“So it is true”

“Not quite, though. We are not supporters of torture nor do we enjoy making people suffer, alright?” he threw Woohyun a pointed look and waited until he nodded to continue “But we’re not exactly pacifists either. We take the lives we have to, the ones we see necessary to carry our duty. But, believe me, half of the deaths your people attribute to us had nothing to do with our doing”

“Who, then?”

“Well, your own people, for starters” he shrugged “Don’t you realize how convenient it is to have unknown, sneaky monsters around to kill off the people you need gone? You just kill them, throw them out and claim the spooky creature did it”

“What? That… That’s not…”

“What’s not? Do you really find it hard to believe?”

“Well… I guess it could happen, but…”

“That’s what happens, more often than you’d think”

“Well then, what about the other half?” he pushed.

“Well, I told you we are not saints. We have a duty to accomplish, and those that threaten it have to be dealt with”

“Duty? What is this duty of yours?”

“We’re not attackers, Woohyun, we are more protectors than anything. We guard these lands”

“What?” he blinked in confusion “These lands? Then why do you have to kill people from the city, it’s their land too”

“For you, it is. For them it might be… For me it was for a while”

“What do you mean?”

Dongwoo looked at him and opened his mouth to reply, but then closed it and looked to the side, his face expressing cautious alert. After a few seconds, he relaxed and smiled “Well, it was time already boys!”

As if on cue, a deep growl and heavy rustle sounded not far away, then several pair of feet approaching and finally, three men, all dressed in dark clothes, stepped into the ring of light. Woohyun noted all of them had their hoods up and their faces half covered, and all were looking at him intently.

“Uh… Dongwoo?” he called in slight panic.

“So, you wanted to meet the rest of us, didn’t you?”

“All of them are…?”

“Yes, well no, there are more, but these are the ones you call scavengers around here”

A loud scoff sounded between the new men.

“Oh… Alright. I… Hello?” he attempted.

His answer was a heavy silence and insistent stares.

“Come on, guys, introduce yourselves” more silence, and a pair of arms crossed “You know Sunggyu wouldn’t like this attitude” Dongwoo chided lightly.

A few clicking of tongues and groans replied, but one of them immediately stepped forward and walked up to Woohyun, crouching down and extending a gloved hand to him “Hello, I’m Myungsoo” the man said in a strange voice, somewhat deep but lightly nasal.

Woohyun was about to take the offered hand when Dongwoo spoke again “Your glove Myung”

“Oh” the other hurriedly took it off and offered the now uncovered hand again.

Woohyun finally shook hands with him “I’m Woohyun” he mumbled.

“Did Sunggyu take his cover off to him?” Myungsoo asked Dongwoo.

“He has” the other nodded, and in quick response, Myungsoo did the same, pulling back his hood and pulling down the cloth, letting Woohyun see a very young looking face set into a very serious expression.

“Alright then” the young one nodded, standing up and turning to the other two.

The remaining men exchanged glances and then walked closer, taking their gloves off and offering their hands to Woohyun as well. One of them had slender, pretty hands and Woohyun noticed the big lashes of equally big eyes. He doubted for a while before assuming there was a girl in the group. The other one was curt and distant. None of them uncovered their faces, but sat down around the fire with them.

“Well, let _me_ tell you their names as they don’t seem to be doing so any time soon” Dongwoo offered with a pointed look to the other two “The brisk one is Hoya, the pretty one is Sungjong”

“Oh, he’s a-“

“That’s right” Dongwoo interrupted with a look of mild warning.

“Alright” he nodded confusedly, then run his eyes over the men sitting with him “So, all of you are… um” he didn’t want to call them scavengers, as it seemed to not please their ears too much.

“Yes, scavengers, you can say it” Dongwoo shrugged “We’ve gotten used to the name anyway”

“Speak for yourself” one of them, Hoya, spat out.

“It’s not all that bad” Sungjong said, his voice soft “At least it keeps them at bay”

Hoya only clicked his tongue, and Woohyun tried to divert the subject “So, where are you from?”

“Here” Hoya answered, glaring at him mildly.

“H-here? Here where?”

“Here” Sungjong shrugged.

“I… don’t think I understand”

“We’re all from the same place as you, Woohyun” Dongwoo interceded.

“What? You mean the city?”

“Yes, we were born there, then came here”

“How?”

“The same way you are doing it now” Sungjong said.

Woohyun blinked at him, then the rest of them before understanding what he meant “Wait, what?!”

“Your eyes are going to pop out!” Dongwoo chuckled ever so distended “It’s ok, no need to panic”

“No need to-? What? Are you serious?”

“What were you expecting?” Hoya inquired.

“I… I don’t know, I…”

“You thought they were taking you out on a leisure ride or something? Showing you the forest for the fun of it?”

“No-“

“Or just playing with the food before eating you?”

“Enough Hoya” Dongwoo meddled, still looking very amused “It must not be the first idea to come to your mind when a pair of unknown men kidnap you, right?”

“I… I don’t know anymore”

“It’s alright, and do not think of it yet, it’ll come when the time says so”

“What? How am I suppose-“

“Just trust me, it’ll all fall in place when it has to”

“But-“

“Seriously, Woohyun, just don’t concern yourself with it just yet”

“Just tell me one thing, then”

“Sure”

“What is it that you’re going to do with me?”

“Well, we’re not killing you, if that what’s concerning you”

“Alright” he nodded, admittedly relieved to hear the confirmation from the man’s lips “But, what then? Why are you taking me away like this and… and introducing me to all these people and…”

“I told you, that’ll come later… But I guess I could maybe give you a little introduction to your new life”

“New life? What are you saying?” he felt his stomach tighten a little in nervousness.

“Listen here, we all came from the walled city, we all were born there and knew nothing of the world but what was inside the walls” he shifted to sit more comfortably, and he saw the rest of them do the same “At some point in our lives, and in some way or another, we found ourselves out, alone in the outside and shaking down to our bones in fear that these _monsters_ people talked about would come eat us for being bad children”

“ _Bad children_? How old were you when that happened?”

“Oh, right, well we all came here rather young. You are a weird case, you know? How old are you?”

“I’ll be 23 soon”

A surprised whistle startled him “Well aren’t you grown up” Hoya’s voice murmured.

“What do you mean?”

Dongwoo took up the word “When I got here I was… Let me think… ten years old”

“What? So young?”

“Yes, Hoya here came with eight, Myungsoo was eight too, and Sungjong nine”

“Ah, heavens! You were really young”

“We were, indeed, that’s why I’m telling you, you’re a strange case”

“And why did I get here so… old, then?”

“Many factors I suppose” the man shrugged “For starters, you had your parents with you until… How long ago did you mother pass away?”

Woohyun blinked astonished “How do you know that?” he breathed out.

“Oh, Sungyeol told Myungsoo and he commented it to us. I’m sorry if it was a sensible subject”

“I… No, I mean, it’s alright. She died when I was seventeen”

“Well, there you have it, you were a young man when you were left alone”

“So, you were alone when you were young?”

“We lost our parents at a young age, some of us never knew any from the very beginning, other would have preferred never knowing them” he sighed “In some way or another, we were alone”

“I’m sorry to hear that”

“Don’t be, it was that what brought us here, our lives were doomed as they were, this was our second chance”

“Can I ask you…?”

“What is it?”

“How old was Sunggyu when he got here?”

“Oh, him” Dongwoo nodded “He was the first of us to come, he’s the oldest among us, older than you too, but the one who arrived the youngest”

“Even younger than you all were?”

“Yes, he was five I think”

Woohyun gaped at the man “You’re not being serious”

“I am, he was nothing but a little kid when he found himself out in the wild”

“That’s not… How did that even happen?”

“Ah, well, I’m not sure I can tell you that” he pursued his mouth “I’ll just tell you that that’s the reason he’s so… strange, sometimes. This life is almost all he knows, he was practically raised here, with her. He grew up with her until we came around”

“With her, you mean… “

“Yes, _her_ ”

“But how? How did he meet with her? How did any of you meet you partners, anyway?”

“Oh, he’s calling them partners” Hoya butted in, his tone much more pleasant than before.

“Uh, yeah, Dongwoo told me it was a good way to call them” he answered.

“You’ll get to know their names in some time”

“Really? You mean _their_ names or the names of the… Uh… Race? Do they have a name like that?”

“Not really, because there’s no one to name their kind but us, and we all know them by their names” he remained thoughtful for a while and them blinked at him “But never mind that, you were asking something else, weren’t you?”

“Ah, yes, how did you meet your partners”

“Right, you see sometimes they are waiting for you, some other you have to wait for them, and in some occasions you just go out to look for each other at the same time” he contemplated Woohyun’s furrowed eyebrows and laughed lightly “For example, she was waiting for Sunggyu way before he came to her. And that was a good thing, because she was ready and waiting for him the moment he put one of his little feet into the wild. A child so young would have not survived alone for long” he shook his head “In my case, we bumped into each other as I stumbled lost through the woods” he laughed “We both scared half the life out of the other that time”

“You… scared _him_?” Woohyun asked skeptical.

“Sure thing I did” he laughed some more “And then there was Myungsoo, who had to wait for his friend to come to him. How long was it that you waited, Myung?” he asked the other.

Myungsoo stared at him for a while and then said in the same weird voice “Two months”

“That’s a lot of time to be waiting alone” Woohyun commented stunned.

“I wasn’t alone” Myungsoo turned his intense stare to him, and Woohyun felt uncomfortable in his own skin “I was with Sunggyu”

“Oh…”

“That’s right. Just like he did with you, Woohyun, he went to pick him up and kept him close until his partner found him”

“So he picked me up… Because…”

“Because your partner hasn’t showed up yet” Dongwoo smiled.

“My… partner?”

“Sure thing! But don’t worry, they’ll come when the time’s right”

“I will have…? Oh heavens, you’re not serious. That’s not possible!”

“Think what you want, it’ll happen regardless” Sunggyu’s voice flowed to them, and all the heads turned to watch him walk towards them, his arms cradling a bunch of limp, small animals he could not distinguish well enough “Help me out here so we can eat” he said to no one in particular, but had Myungsoo at his side in a second “And you two, show your faces already” he instructed.

Both Hoya and Sungjong uncovered their faces with no complaint or show of unwillingness, revealing yet more young looking features.

“How old are you anyway?” he asked.

“Us?” Dongwoo had seemingly taken the role of the meddler man “Uh, I’m 24”

“Oh, you’re older than me”

“Yes, I am, young man” the other laughed lightly “But the rest of them are all younger than you”

“They are?” he felt a little out of place knowing that “But you said Sunggyu was the oldest of them all”

“He is, yes, he’ll be 25”

“He’s not that old either”

“Of course not,” he leaned in and added in a whisper “and don’t let him hear you calling him old”

“But I don’t think he is”

“Just don’t say it”

“Alright” he settled back against the rock again and mulled over the all what had been said. He pondered over the fact that all these men had been for some reason out in the wild on their own, none of them even past their child voices and already facing such hardships. Then having to come face to face with those huge beasts and start living in the woods? How had they managed? Had they all started alone? But no, Dongwoo had said that Sunggyu would find them if they were not found by their partners first, so that’d mean they had all been together from the start… Well, all except Sunggyu himself. How long had he been living alone with his partner? A child of only five years old… He shook his head and looked over the man, who was now walking away opposite the forest with his hands held away from his body, the crimson discernible even in the dim light, the sound of the chains breaking the quiet rustling of the night. _To think that we called them the bells of death, when they’re nothing but a handful of chains hanging from a belt_ , he chuckled.

“Something funny?” he heard a voice near him.

Hoya was looking at him from the other side of the fire, his face giving away nothing but curiosity.

“Uh, nothing, just remembering things”

“From the city?”

“Yes”

“Mind telling me how was it that you ended up outside?”

“No, it was just… It was me actually”

“You mean you went out on your own?”

“Yeah, I offered my help to a trav- Oh, I mean, Sungyeol…” he frowned lightly “Now that I think about it, he probably never needed my help in the first place, did he?”

Hoya let out a rough, simple laugh before answering “I doubt it. He was probably trying to get you out, seeing that you wouldn’t do it on your own accord”

“But I’ve always wanted to, it’s just that the fear of... Well, of you actually, it kept me inside, but I really felt the need to escape”

“Well, I suppose it built up in you since you were held in for so long”

“Did any of you feel anything like that too?”

“You could say” the other nodded “We were a little too young to tell then, but we were all the kind of kids that would not stay put, always wanting to run away or climb the trees to see beyond, to get bored easily and sneak out to the fields every time we could” he fell silent for a moment, his eyes fixed on the creaking fire.

“We all had the anxiety in us” Sungjong joined in, his voice gentle and soft “But, like he said, we were young then and it was nothing out of the normal to be a little restless. But in you it must have been growing as time went by and you stayed in there. Didn’t you ever try escaping? Not even once?”

“I thought about it more than once, and I was close to do it a few occasions, but there was always something that’d stop me. First it was my age and family, then my mother, then my fear” he shrugged “I guess I never gathered the courage”

“But you did” Dongwoo said “You followed a total stranger outside, in the middle of the night with no reassurance but his word, that’s something”

“That’s reckless” Sungjong corrected.

“That’s desperation” Hoya put in with a serious voice “He was probably desperate to leave, having been inside those walls for so long”

“I… I guess” Woohyun mumbled, not sure if he’d call it desperation, but he was sure the need for an escape had burned in him stronger with every year he spent in the city.

“It’s alright” Dongwoo offered a big smile and a pat on the shoulder “You’re out now, and the rest of your life is somewhere out there, ready to meet you”

The knowledge settled peacefully in his mind.

 

 

* * *

“Is Sungyeol a scavenger too?” he asked the following morning, when the sun was still hidden but its light was already painting the sky in pink and orange.

“No, he’s not”

“How do you know him then?”

“He’s a friend” Hoya shrugged.

“How did you meet?”

“He’s a reckless little thing” Dongwoo chuckled “He was tragically lost in the area, getting too close to places he shouldn’t be close to, and therefore unknowingly putting his life at stake. Myungsoo found him, dirty, cold and frightened, but still with spirit for jokes” he shook his head “Something in the guy made Myung spare his life for a while, but that was enough for Sungyeol to win him over”

“He was rather… friendly” Woohyun conceded.

“Yes, he grows in you, don’t know how, but he just does” Sunjong commented as he walked with a saddle in his arms.

Woohyun took a bite of the slice of hard bread he was eating “So he’s your friend now”

“Yes, he comes and goes but stays with us most of the time, riding with Myung as he doesn’t have a partner”

“And it- I mean, he… Or she- Myungsoo’s… “

“Myung’s is a boy too”

“Oh, then, he lets him”

“Oh, yes he does, Myungsoo’s partner likes Sungyeol as much as the boy does”

“What are the rest?”

“Sorry?”

“Sunggyu’s is a female, Myungsoo’s and yours are both males…” he explained.

“Oh, yes, Hoya’s a girl and Jong’s a boy”

_What will mine be?_ He found himself wondering, but immediately shook the thought from his head. He should not be nursing such ideas, worse even to call them hopes. But the expectation would come back over and over again, especially once all five beasts walked out into the light of the morning. For the first time since it all started, he allowed himself to look at the animals properly and, to his surprise, he found them not as frightening but more imposing and graceful. They varied the color of their fur from the dark brown of Sunggyu’s partner to Hoya’s light, almost white beige. Their strong limbs were gracefully holding them high, the thick necks straight and their heads up and alert. The faces held a light reminiscence to a feline, wide, wet noses and tiny whiskers, their ears were pointed and twitching towards sounds and their fur glossy, though varying in length. The most outstanding feature, though, was their eyes. Fierce and bright as none other he had ever seen, going from yellow to hazel, they pierced through him with an understanding that unnerved him. He felt they could read his thoughts; look into his very soul and right through him. He tried looking at some of them in the eyes, but found it impossible soon enough.

_Will this be so intimidating too when…?_ He stopped himself again, sighing in frustration as he felt the expectation build in him. He could not help or understand the growing need to meet what would be his friend, what would be a bond so deep and true he’d be able to put his own life in the paws of a beast. How long would it take him to reach such level of trust? Would he have to win the creature’s approval or something? Would it-he or she try to hurt him in any way? Why couldn’t he control his own excitement over it? He shouldn’t even be thinking it possible, it wasn’t, it was crazy thinking… But, then again, wasn’t all what was going on crazy as well?

“Don’t be anxious, they’ll meet you in time” Sunggyu startled him from behind.

“What? No, I’m just…” he motioned to nowhere and lost the will to make excuses “Is this really going to happen?” he finally dared asking.

Sunggyu kept staring at him for a while and then, once more, lifted his hand to pat his hair as one would to a dog or a kid. Woohyun couldn’t find it in him to feel offended, though “It will”

“What will happen? How does it work? Is there… anything I have to do… or say?”

Sunggyu shook his head softly and dropped his hand to Woohyun’s shoulder “Don’t worry, you’ll know then” he patted his shoulder and made to move away.

Filled with an inexplicable eagerness, Woohyun kept on asking “How was it when you met yours?” but the slight flinch in the other’s eyes threw him back “Sorry, I didn’t… Is it something you don’t speak of?”

“She saved me from certain death” Sunggyu said “and then became my life”

“Oh…” Woohyun remained speechless, not sure of what he should say, but Sunggyu’s hand on his head again made his restlessness fade away like magic.

“You’ll be fine, Woohyun, we’re with you now” he said.

Woohyun couldn’t find it in him to put words to what that had meant for him.

 

 

* * *

_Where are we going?_ He wondered a few hours into the ride. He was again riding behind Sunggyu, clasping at his hips, but much more relaxed, his legs dangling from the sides and his attention running free.

“Where are we going?” he voiced out.

“Home”

He blinked a few times in silence “Your home? Where is it?”

“Here”

“But… Then where are we going?”

Dongwoo laughed and caught up with them, the long steps of his partner silent as a cat’s “Woohyun, we consider all this land our home, but there are some places where we settle more… physicaly, you could say, than others”

“So it’s like your house?”

“Yeah, that’s right”

“Why didn’t you just say so?”

“Don’t ask _me_ ” he said with an amused smile and pointing to Sunggyu with his chin.

“Are there more of you there?”

“Maybe” Dongwoo shrugged.

“Are you the only scavengers?” he asked instead, already getting used to the weird answering they all seemed to have.

“In this area, the five of us, yes”

“But are there more of your… people? Or it’s just the five of you”

“No, there are more”

“Will I ever meet them?”

“Of course you will. Maybe not all of them, but you’ll definitely see some more of us”

“Are they also friendly people like you?”

A strange, low laugh left the other man’s mouth “Don’t get confused here, Woohyun, we’re friendly with you because you are one of us”

“No I’m not...”

“ _Yet_ , is the word you’re looking for”

“I… I’m not sure about that…”

“Yet?”

“Just… never mind that. So you are not friendly to other people?”

“We just don’t get close to other people, unless they come to near to where they shouldn’t”

“And then?”

“Then we are not friendly at all” Hoya butted in form behind.

“So it _is_ true”

“What is?”

“That you kill people that wander”

“It’s a way to put it”

“What is it that people should not get close to, anyway?”

“Our home”

“But you said your home were all these lands”

“Yes, but…” he breathed deeply “Uh, you see, the people that built that city arrived here long time ago, centuries ago, but they were not the original inhabitants of these lands. They didn’t know though, and so they established here slowly. The original locals did not bother them, because they agreed that the land was immense and rich in resources, and the newly arrived men seemed to be friendly enough”

“So, they let them stay”

“Yes, they granted them the space where they live and the use of it as they pleased, if they were to stay put and not bring any damage to the land or its inhabitants. But, as you can predict, things didn’t work as well. With time, the city folk started to grow curious and suspicious, they wanted to go further into the land, explore and expand. It was all fine as long as they kept to their place, so they were allowed to move around… Did you know that the mountains hold a rich amount of metal?”

“Metal? What kind?”

“The kind people go mad about”

“And the kind they use to fight” Hoya added.

“So, the kind you have in your belt”

“Exactly” 

“Thing is” Dongwoo continued “They discovered that there were more veins of exploitable metal further into the mountains, as well as promising extensions past the woods around them. They wanted to reach for those, but the original inhabitants didn’t quite agree with it”

“But, why? If they needed new land or-“

“No, they didn’t need such things, not yet at least. And in any case, it’s not like the problem was they exploiting the mountains, the problem was that they were dealing with very mistrustful locals. They had been granted permission to stay but didn’t seem to appreciate the rarity of such allowance. It was the mutual understanding the first newcomers and the original inhabitants had reached that permitted their coexistence. Something in them had held promise, they say, something in their nature linked them in a way none of them expected. But the years passed, decades grew into centuries, and the understanding was slowly washed away. The locals kept to themselves, they didn’t show to the city, their interaction dimmed to nothing. It became to the point where the city folk forgot they were not the owners of the lands, they forgot they had a bond with another people, they forgot about… well, us.

It happened then, that one night a group of hunters went roaming the woods, further than usual, accompanying a group of miners that wanted to reach the mountains on the other side of the forest. They happened to bump into a lone local, who thought them friends, but received instead an arrow to his chest. The hunters followed the trail to the local’s family and thought them invaders. You imagine what happened then” Woohyun nodded slowly “The group went back to the city and informed of their findings, and the city sent searching parties to scan the lands. They covered a big extension, way past their boundaries, into the woods and beyond it, and, immersed in their delirium of invasion and usurpers, they spared no one”

“Wait… They killed the original inhabitants?”

“Not quite, but they caused great damage and anger” Dongwoo sighed and shifted in his saddle “The original inhabitants,” he started again “they had, how to say it, they had a special understanding of their lands, and with it they had also extended a bond to the creatures that hide deep in the shadows from times the human race did not know. They had a bond that ran deep in their lives, they were connected through their souls and minds”

“Do you mean them?” Woohyun asked looking at the beasts they were riding.

“That’s right, them” Dongwoo smiled softly “That’s why, when the inhabitants found themselves threatened and attacked, these fellows stood up to their aid”

“Alright, but then why are we involved if we’re from the city that attacked them?”

“The locals were dimmed greatly, their survival threatened as their youth was nearly extinguished. The long times of peace, which they had held for nearly their whole existence, had them unprepared for such a strike. So they set a payment for the city folk”

“Payment?”

“Yes, they were to take their own young ones to guard them from their own blood”

“Oh, heavens, that’s what you are then!”

“That’s correct. For a long time now, there have been young ones chosen to abandon their homes and desert their birthplace to bond with a partner and guard the lands. They had their destiny growing in them, making them restless and anxious to flee and fulfill their duty”

“So the other people are not from the city?”

“Other people?”

“The not scavengers?”

“Oh, right” he laughed “No, they are. There are really few descendants of the original people of these lands, they’re fading. The blood of the city is refilling their place”

“But… I mean, they will disappear after all?”

“Maybe, but no matter where the blood comes, our souls and hearts belong here and with them” Dongwoo said, softly stroking the neck of his partner.

“That was our Dongwoo’s history session” Hoya said from behind “Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Well, it was sure a lot. But how do you know so much anyway?”

“I’ve had my own teacher” he shrugged, casting a quick glance to Sunggyu, who had remained in complete silence the whole while “Did I do good?”

Sunggyu just nodded.

 

 

* * *

Woohyun could see the dark figure of a thick forest not far ahead when he heard a strange call nearby.

“What is that?”

“What?” Sungjong asked beside him, lifting his eyes from the absentminded braiding he was doing to the long fur of his partner’s neck.

“That just-“ the sound repeated and he whipped his head around “What kind of animal is that?”

He heard Hoya’s rough laugh and Dongwoo’s contagious chuckling behind him. Sungjong was shaking his head and biting his lips.

“You’ll see” Sunggyu said, and even though he could not see the man’s face, he was almost sure he heard amusement in his voice.

They moved a few yards following a bunch of tall trees and then rounded to find a big stone a wood house. The front lawn was extensive and with some scattered trees spreading shade. Another building stood a little to the back. There was a man kneeling in the grass, apparently playing with a cat, the moment the furry animal leapt to catch the man’s hand, he let out a strange sound, like a weird bird. As soon as the strange man came into view, Myungsoo walked ahead and dismounted while his partner still moved. The animal then leaped forward, something Woohyun had not seen yet and left them gaping a little, and grunted softly. In no time, the weird sound surged yet again, but this time it dissolved in a fit of laughter and half yelled greetings.

“Is that…?”

“Hey, Yeol!” Dongwoo waved as he too dismounted with ease.

They finally reached the place and the rest climbed down to their feet. Woohyun saw Sungyeol standing near them, a big cat in his arms.

“Was that you?”

“Oh, Woohyun!” the man said loudly, putting the cat down and pulling Woohyun into a hug.

“I… Yes, hello”

“I told you it’d be fine, didn’t I?”

“I... Right…”

“I see you met everyone already”

“I did, yes”

“Perfect! Did your kitty cat show up yet?”

“My… what?”

“Don’t talk like that” Sungjong chided mildly as he walked past them.

“Alright, did you meet your partner yet?”

“Oh, no, not yet” he answered awkwardly.

“Ah, don’t worry, they’ll come”

“That’s what they all said”

“And who would know better than them?”

“I guess you’re right”

“Come on in!” Dongwoo called from the main door. 

They walked up to a wide porch and into the house, and Woohyun took his time to snoop around the spacious place. There was a big kitchen and a dining room, as well as a spacious sitting area with big, cushioned chairs and a cozy fireplace. A heavy looking set of stairs led upstairs.

“This is what you could call our house” Sungjong provided.

“It’s really nice” he breathed out as he peeked up the stairs.

“Well, get used to it, you’ll be returning here often”

“I will?”

“It’ll be your house too” Hoya said.

“My… Oh… I’ve never lived in a place like this”

“You’ll be out and roaming around half the time, anyway”

“You’ll get used to it” Sungjong reassured.

“Will I, really?”

“I did” he shrugged.

“How long have you been… like this?”

“It’s been twelve years”

“That’s a long time”

“I’m the newest, though”

“How long did it take you to grow into this kind of life?”

“Less than you’d think, I had really good company to bear with the change” he offered a smile and a little wink, then left for the kitchen “You will too”

The night found him in a strange room, on a strange bed looking through a strange window to the dark sky he had watched since he was a boy. The stars were shining pale and hidden behind the clouds, the winds carried promise of rain soon. There was silence in the house, they were all probably sleeping, though he had noticed that they usually favored short naps through the whole day instead of a long night sleep. _That’s not healthy_ , he scolded in his mind, pursuing his lips in discontent, _but they do it to fulfill their duty, I suppose_. He tried thinking of it like being in the military, or maybe the city’s guard, those were jobs that demanded certain strain from your body and mind in order to serve to a greater cause. They were guards after all, or something of the sorts. He wondered if it really bothered them to be called scavengers, it wasn’t a flattering name, but they seemed to be used to it, Hoya was the only one who had even shown any sign of displeasure and he was still not sure he had read that well.

He dropped back on the mattress and closed his eyes. _I’m going to become a scavenger_ , he thought, _Ah, heavens! I still cannot believe it, what would have I thought if anyone were to tell me this a week ago? That they were not right in their heads, that I would have said. And what am I supposed to do now, anyway? Just sit here and wait for my supposed partner to show up? What if that never happens? What if they were wrong and I was never meant to be here? What would they do?_

_“You’ll be fine Woohyun”_ Sunggyu’s voice echoed in his mind, calm and firm as he always sounded. He could almost feel the gentle hand going through his hair right then, the dark, hard eyes looking into his own like they could read him as a book. In a way, it was like with the creatures, that intense feeling of being watched right through, but it didn’t feel as unnerving with him. It was calming, in a weird sense, from their very first encounter, it had. He remembered the sheer panic that had assaulted him when the incomprehensible figure of Sunggyu’s partner had been close to him, the suffocating fear and hopelessness, and the way it had all almost left him the moment the pair of steady hands had held him by the arms _. Maybe_ , he mused, _he has those strange effects on me because he was raised by one of these creatures. I mean, shouldn’t I been frightened of riding surrounded by all those beasts? And there I was thinking that it would be nice to pet them. Perhaps some of that calming aura rubbed on him. He is a strange one after all, but good strange, right?_

He fell asleep over the covers, the questions of his future mingled with those that floated around the older man.

A distant thunder woke him up. The last echoes of a dream slipping from his mind as the rain took consistence in his ears. He felt nervous for some reason, anxious, but his body would not let him out the bed. He just stayed in place for a long while, hearing as the winds knocked at his window and whistled through the cracks. He felt his nerves calm down slowly, then slumber come back to him heavily. Then he fell asleep again.

 

 

* * *

The next morning he woke up to an almost empty house, the riders had all disappeared. He kept Sungyeol company in the house, being introduced to a pair of big hounds and a bunch of cats that lived in there or in the proximities. He was showed around, visiting the rooms of the entire house and then the building in the back. It was some sort of workshop that concentrated several kinds of works. There were pieces of clothing and fabric, boots and other shoes, cloaks and shirts and a big hamper with sewing utensils. A work table with various metal tools of different uses was somewhere else, lots of objects he didn’t recognize also scattered on the wooden surface. Not far, a wide array of weaponry hanging from the walls or lying on tables offered a clear reminder of the nature of these men’s job.

“Do they… Share these?” he asked Sungyeol.

“What? Oh, not usually. There are a few that are for common use, but their favorites are strictly personal” he said in a casual tone.

“You are really used to this, aren’t you?”

“Yes I am”

“How long have you been around them?”

“Hm…” he tapped his chin thoughtfully “Three years? No, four, yes, four years”

“They told me Myungsoo found you”

“Ah yes” he smiled and let out a light sigh “Good memories; I was about to die of hunger and was lost in the woods when a big, ferocious creature jumped me from the shadows”

“Yes… Good memories”

“I was so tired that I didn’t even consider running away, but then I saw someone riding the big thing, so I tried to start a conversation. It ended up being me ranting nonsense and the guy staring at me blankly, but I knew he understood, so I kept talking, I told him about my failed trip and that the way his giant cat was eyeing me was flattering but unnerving. He seemed to finally have enough of my chatting when he made the thing walk up to me and then kicked me in the head”

“What?”

“Yes, when I woke up I was beside a nice fire and warm under a cloak”

“So he spared you”

“He took me to Sunggyu actually, but it seems he didn’t know what to do with me”

“He asked Sunggyu what to do?”

“I guess he did” he shrugged “In any case, it was a really lucky outcome for me, I keep thanking the heavens that he found me that time and decided not to cut me in half”

“So that time… Had you seen me that time at the city?”

“I didn’t reach the city, I got lost in the woods on my way. I ended up there some time later”

“And where were you going anyway?”

“To the little port town”

“Why not the bigger ones to the west?”

“I thought you knew this already, but travelers are not always welcomed everywhere. And I was actually sought after in some places, so I had to avoid those”

“Are you some kind of criminal?”

“Not really, just did some silly things that got some important people very mad”

“Like?”

“Well…” he shrugged “the usual, playing around with some ladies I should not play with, taking the horse of a very resentful and rich man, ruining some murder plot”

“You did that?” Woohyun asked astonished.

“The last one was accidental, though”

“You’ve had an interesting life”

“You could say, but I’ve come to appreciate these moments of calm here. Minding my own business, spending my time relaxed and knowing I’ll have a roof over my head tomorrow, and food at night, that I won’t be waking up to a knife over my face or a wolf at my feet. It’s nice for a change”

“I see”

“I still have the urge to go out and get stupid some times, but I’ve lived most of my life like that, so I think now I’m settling down, slowly, but I guess I am”

“So you’ll stay living with them?”

“I am already living with them”

“But you plan to stay… Forever?”

“Forever is too long for us humans to deal with, don’t you think?”

“Well, yes, but you get my meaning”

“I do, and yes, I’m planning on staying for as long as they allow me to”

“Are you good friends with Myunsoo?”

“I like to think so” he smiled widely and chuckled “We understand each other, we did from the beginning, it was strange at first, to feel so at ease with someone that had tried to murder me, but I couldn’t help it”

“Ah, I know what you mean. So it is these creatures’ dong after all”

“What is?”

“That feeling of… Of… “ he struggled with words, not knowing how to explain the way he felt “Of safety and comfort”

“Mh, well, I guess having one of those as a friend would make you feel safe, yes”

“But I mean… I mean not the animals themselves but…”

“You mean the guys?”

“Yes, I mean, for example every time I’m riding with Sunggyu or when he pats my head like a child’s, there’s this feeling of calm and safety that I can’t fight back. There hasn’t been a time when he didn’t wash away my fears with just a little touch or a few words. That’s why I was thinking it’s maybe his partner’s influence, since he grew up with her, maybe some weird magic rubbed off on him or-“

A high pitched giggle interrupted him, and he turned to Sungyeol, who was trying to stifle his laugh. He frowned at him, feeling a little offended by the response.

“Sorry” the man chuckled out “But… I’m afraid to tell you that Sunggyu has no more magic in him than a wooden stool, and there’s no soothing aura around him for sure”

“What are you talking about? He does…”

“Look, I think whatever it is that you feel has nothing to do with magic or anything like that” he finally stopped giggling and offered him a little smile “But it’s alright… I suppose? Yeah, it’ll be fine”

“What will be?”

“Don’t worry, just don’t go telling him any of this magic business”

 

 

* * *

When Sungjong and Hoya returned the following day, they looked a little morose and tired but a good bath and dinner had them in high spirits again. They left the next morning just as Dongwoo and Myungsoo walked in.

“Do they always do this?” he asked Sungyeol while they sat for lunch.

“Eating like pigs? Yes, it’s pretty common”

“No” he bit his lip not to laugh “I mean this coming and going”

“They usually go for a bit longer and they don’t always synchronize their times here. They’re just keeping an eye on you, I’m supposing”

“What? Why? It’s not like I can steal anything from them”

“Oh no,” Dongwoo snorted through a mouthful of stew “We don’t think you would”

“Then why?”

“You’re new here, you don’t know the area” Sungyeol pointed out.

“And your partner might show up any time” Dongwoo added.

“Is it going to be dangerous?”

“Don’t think so”

“Then why are you keeping an eye on me?”

“We want to see!”

“Oh…”

“I think I’m staying for a little while, actually. Myung, you’re going on your own”

“Can Yeol come?”

“Sure” he shrugged.

“We’re going together?” the tall man asked with big eyes.

“Yes” Myungsoo nodded quickly, seemingly also excited.

“Great!”

“You can go with him?” Woohyun asked.

“Yes, I accompany him sometimes, it’s fun! Well, except when he finds someone to take care of, then it’s duty time”

“Yeah, it’s not something you should be getting yourself involved with if you don’t have to” Dongwoo offered seriously.

“Do you _have_ to kill anyone that crosses the borders?”

“Not necessarily, sometimes we try to push them away, scare them a little if we have to, but if they don’t back down then yes. Usually the harmless ones step back and just leave. It’s the armed people that just won’t get the hint; they think themselves superior to whatever they think it is that warns them, it would seem”

“Why don’t you try to reason with them”

“We can’t, there are rules in our job, Woohyun, and one of those is to not show ourselves unless for disposing of someone”

“But what about Sungyeol then?”

“That was a great risk to take, sparing him and bringing him along, but, for some reason, we were never called upon that”

“I still believe it is because I’ve done more good than bad to you so far. I mean, look, I just got you your sixth scavenger!”

“It may be, after all” the older rider sighed, then explained for Woohyun “He has been insisting in it being some sort of way of destiny for him to find us. And I might believe it a little more now that he actually brought you out of the city and towards us”

“I told you before” Myungsoo spoke, surprising Woohyun a little as he hadn’t heard him talk unless he was asked or spoken to directly “There have been outsiders among other generations, Sunggyu said so”

“Yes, I know. I was just dreading a corrective sanction, that’s all”

“How is it that Sungyu knows so much of past happenings?” he mumbled to himself.

“He had his own teacher” Sungyeol shrugged, apparently having heard him.

“If Na-I mean, if my partner let him, then we should rest assured that the decision would bring no harm” Myungsoo continued.

“I know, you were right, Myungsoo, happier now?” Dongwoo rolled his eyes, but the smile was big in his face.

“Very” the other nodded, ever so serious.

“So you trust anything your partners decide?”

“They’re not almighty in their knowledge or perfect in their decisions, but their instincts are something you can rely on with little worry. They have, just like the first human occupants of these lands, a different, much deeper understanding of their own nature and the bonds that tie them with the humans, not only us, but also those that could bring them harm or help”

“They are really amazing creatures, aren’t they?”

“In more ways than one” Sungyeol agreed.

“But don’t forget that they share our duty, Woohyun” Dongwoo advised, setting down his fork.

“What do you mean?”

“The first impression you got from her, and the tales and fear the city folk share, there is a reason to all of that”

“Yes, I imagined so”

“Just don’t forget”

“I sure won’t”

 

 

* * *

Two days later found him reading by the fire in the seating room, his feet propped up a little cushioned stool and an empty cup of tea by his side on a low round table. He still could not believe that a week ago he was shivering in a damp corner of the grey ring, barefoot and hungry and praying that the night would let him survive, harboring no hopes for his future but a peaceful death, maybe while he slept. Now he was sporting proper clothing, if borrowed and a little mended, real shoes on his feet, warm food and a warm fire, a bed with a mattress and even good people he wished could soon call friends. Dongwoo was still with him in the house, teaching him to sew properly and cook with ingredients he had never seen, encouraging him to read whatever he fancied from the overflowing bookcases or taking him outside to show him the proximities. He was starting to feel comfortable, like he might belong here after all, that maybe he could get accustomed to this life and it wouldn’t be bad at all.

Then Sunggyu came back under a heavy spring rain, dark shadows under his sharp eyes and a darker mood around him. Woohyun was a little astonished to see that his partner also padded into the house, dripping water from her short fur and shaking her body like a domestic cat or dog might to get rid of the excess.

Dongwoo told him to keep distance from both of them for a while, he himself going to the sitting room with a torn shirt and sewing tools in his hands. Woohyun supposed he could go up to his room, but then the feeling of being watched made his skin crawl. He turned around to find Sunggyu’s partner staring at him with her bright orange eyes. He didn’t know if walking away would be rude of him, didn’t precisely fancy offending one of the creatures in such reduced space, so he waited, roaming his own eyes around to avoid looking at her. The beast walked to him, and he almost dashed upstairs, if the creature hadn’t slumped down over the wooden steps, her eyes still boring into him.

He instantly desisted of going to his room. Where to then? But he had no time to think, because Sunggyu walked out of the kitchen and locked eyes with him. Just like his partner, he kept on staring intently as Woohyun fidgeted in place. _Is this some game these two play?,_ he wondered. But just as he’d never seen him, Sunggyu blinked and walked away.

He ended up in the kitchen, trying to master the cooking of the plum bread Dongwoo had showed him the last afternoon. It didn’t come out as good, but it was a promising start. By the time he covered it with a kitchen rag, the sun was falling quickly under the approaching night. They heated the leftovers from the previous night and ate in silence. Dongwoo didn’t seem too bothered by the quietness, probably accustomed to Sunggyu’s eerie behavior, but he still felt a little uneasy. Once they finished, and to the light surprise of the other two, the older rider spoke.

“We’re leaving tomorrow morning, you’re coming with me” he looked at Woohyun briefly, then took his plate to the kitchen.

 There was a moment of silence before Dongwoo followed him “Wait, what are you doing? You can’t take him with you on a real round”

“I will”

“Why don’t you let him stay here until his partner comes? There’s no need for him to go on a round-“

“There is”

“But… Sunggyu, come on! It won’t do any good”

“It will”

A frustrated groan flowed from the kitchen “Hell! It’s impossible to discuss something with you!”

“It’s not” was the curt answer, but Woohyun thought he heard a little spark of offense there.

“It is so. Now tell me why do you want to take him along?”

Woohyun quietly stood up and walked to the kitchen, his plate in his hands.

“He needs to”

“No he doesn’t. There will be plenty of time for him to get used to it, no need to scare him off so soon”

“Excuse me…” he butted in softly, leaving his plate in place to be washed “What is the problem?”

“Nothing, you’re not going” Dongwoo answered.

“He is” Sunggyu retorted, and Woohyun could see the frustrated annoyance in Dongwoo’s eyes.

“It’s alright” he tried to reassure the growingly distressed rider “It’ll be like the other time, right? A long ride, I can deal with it with no problem”

“No, Woohyun, a real round involves more than just riding”

“Oh, you mean a round like…”

“A scavenger round, on duty, carrying out our job”

“Oh…”

“Exactly, you’re not ready for it”

Woohyun lifted his eyes and found Sunggyu watching him again, but there was something in him, a certain curve to his eyebrows, subtle as the question in his dark eyes. _Is he asking me?_ , he returned the slight gesture, and Sunggyu blinked slowly. Something in Woohyun stirred then, the feeling of this quiet, subtle conversation making his strangely dizzy. He opened his mouth to speak, but the silent thought came out instead as he closed his lips and pursued his mouth a little. He didn’t know if it would be clear his doubt, but Sunggyu responded to the gesture by relaxing his brow and tilting his head minimally to the side. He wasn’t exactly sure what that had meant, but it somehow reminded him of the times the man would pat his head, the reassuring feeling almost tangible in the distance. He blinked in response, his shoulders relaxing in acceptance.

“I… I think it’ll be alright” he finally said, his voice low and quivery. He cleared his throat and turned to Dongwoo, who was giving him a raised eyebrow and a suspicious look “I’ll go”

The other man moved his eyes between the two of them, then hummed “Yeah, don’t know what was that just now”

“She agrees with me” the older of them added.

“Oh… “ Dongwoo blinked and then sighed “I guess… Ah, I still don’t like it, but you’ll take him along anyway”

“Boots” he heard Sunggyu mutter “A cloak” he added as he walked away.

“You seem to understand each other fairly well” Dongwoo commented.

“I think so” Woohyun agreed, feeling rather pleased with the fact “Can I ask you something?” he asked in a hushed voice.

“Sure”

“Does he have some… influence over people?” he tried boarding the subject once more.

“What do you mean?”

“I don’t know, some sort of aura around him, like those of your partners’?”

“I… I don’t think so, no. Why?”

“It’s just that it feels weird sometimes, being around him”

“Weird? How?”

“I’m not sure”

“He _is_ a little weird”

“Yes, but… Forget it, it must be me, then”

“I’m quite sure it _is_ you” the man smiled at him softly. Woohyun looked at him in question and the man shrugged “I think it’s a good thing, though, that you feel at ease with each other”

“Well, I got used to you I suppose”

“I meant him” he scrunched his brow a little at the rider “Before you arrived, the only other that seemed to be in the same… Uh… page, let’s say, as Sunggyu was Myungsoo”

“Oh, yes, I noticed”

“Yes, remember that Sunggyu picked him up from the woods and kept him close for some time. Myungsoo grew really attached to him, and even now he still holds a deep respect and care for him. He even acts like him”

“That’s true. Is he imitating him?”

“No, I don’t think so, he is just like that, Sunggyu’s influence must have molded his personality a bit, but that’s just how Myungsoo is. They sometimes take rounds together and all, Sunggyu prefers doing it alone, but he allows Myung to go with him once in a while”

“That’s nice”

“It is, I guess”

“So did you never go with him on a round?”

“The first times, yes, but then we left him on his own mostly. I told you, he’s a strange one”

“For being so long with her, you mean?”

“Our theory, yes”

“He doesn’t seem all that strange to me. He is a little confusing and weird, but nothing too drastic”

“He talks quite a bit with you though”

“He does?” he wondered dubiously “He barely speaks”

“Well, imagine then what it was with the rest of us, it’s unsettling until you get used to him. Myung was the only one that didn’t seem bothered by it”

“Because he’s the same”

“Mostly”

“So why does he speak to me?”

“Don’t ask _me_ ” Dongwoo chuckled “But I dare say…” he looked around and leaned in “That he took a liking to you. And that’s as weird as he can get, so you can feel special”

“Really?” he blinked in surprise and felt a little flustered “Uh, alright, I guess”

Dongwoo laughed at him, and he couldn’t help the little smile it pressed on his face “You should look at your face right now, it’s all red!”

“What? No, it’s not”

“It is so” he patted his back roughly, heaving a long sigh “I hope you’ll be really fine out there. Keep in mind that we have a duty to fulfill, and Sunggyu is the less… Well, he… He’s certainly the best teacher you could get for that, if you understand my meaning”

“I... think I do” he mumbled, suddenly feeling unsure about the whole idea.

“Just don’t hold your first impression of this against him… Or us, you’ll understand soon enough”

“Just like everything else” he sighed.

“That’s how it is, Woohyun, we all went through it” another pat on his shoulder “You’ll be fine”

 

 

* * *

They left with the sun still under the horizon. Dongwoo accompanied them for a while and then parted from them to take his own way. He watched as his figure disappeared behind a turn on the road and felt a little tingle of regret. He had learned to enjoy the man’s company, just like Sungyeol’s.

“Done?” Sunggyu asked suddenly, breaking his train of thought and making him realize the man was waiting for him to be ready to move on.

“Oh, yes, sorry”

The morning moved on as they rode, faster than the first time. Woohyun was holding tightly at Sunggyu again, his legs clamped to the animal’s sides as he feared actually fall from the movement. It was definitely different from a horse’s ride, the sway was more prominent and the movements less predictable, as the animal would sometimes make little jumps or sidesteps. It was a smooth trip in the way that the creature was much more stable and flexible whatever mishap the road might have, but the riders needed to be more alert to the maneuvering. It didn’t seem to be a problem to Sunggyu, as predictable, the man seemed to be perfectly comfortable and handled any jerk or jump with natural ease, as if he were an extension of the animal herself. Woohyun, on the other hand, clung for dear life to anything he could and yelped in surprise every time the ground moved too much.

Another difference from the first occasion what the fact that he was now sporting a dark cloak and a cloth covering half his face, as well as a hooded shirt, just like the rest of them. He didn’t know whose it all was, but he knew he was wearing their clothes. The weight of the boots felt a little restricting, but immensely satisfying on his feet. What still didn’t quite adjust well with him was the sharp little blade on his belt. Sunggyu had fastened it to him without a word, and he did not question it, supposing it was a security measure in case of any danger. He appreciated the gesture, but still felt uncomfortable with it. He had never in his life held any kind of weapon, neither did he know how to handle them. _All at its time, I guess._

He fell asleep on the man’s shoulder again, but was woken up by a soft shove under his chin “Stay alert”

“Sorry” he mumbled, blinking the sleep away and focusing on his suuroundings.

He knew this would not be like the last time, there was a different reason for this trip, and it was for him to get a feel of their life, as far as he knew. He still nursed worries about it, and hoped they wouldn’t meet anyone to _take care off_ , as Sungyeol had said. He wondered how bad it would be. Were they as cruel as the stories said? Dongwoo said they didn’t enjoy inflicting pain, but it didn’t mean they didn’t do it, right? His eyes darted to Sunggyu’s hips, the blades hanging from his belt and the smaller daggers he had seen the man take while they were getting ready before leaving the big house. It was unsettling to know that there had always been several of those hidden all over the man and he hadn’t had a clue until just hours ago.

He had no idea where they were, it seemed to him that they were roaming aimlessly through the woods, but, just before the sun reddened, the woods broke apart to let them into a wide space of green plains. They were in high ground, so he was able to see miles ahead and to the sides. A new forest waited far in the distance, the mountains, gray and cold, stood tall and immobile to the north and then to the south the big ocean, reaching as far as the eyes did. As they settled for the night, he uncovered his face, not used to the feeling, and allowed himself to appreciate the sight in front of him. The sun begun to sink behind the deep waters, the sky, red and purple again, showed the sparks of the first stars above them. He was mesmerized by the golden glittering on the water, the intense colors of the sky, the meeting between the night and the day swarming everything in soft orange light. He wondered if he could ever sail into the ocean, maybe climb on the mountains, and even meet new lands. He wasn’t sure if he could ask such things to Sunggyu, but the breathtaking beauty laid around him eased his cautions.

“Have you ever walked a different land?” he said softly, almost afraid of breaking the calmness that engulfed them.

To his surprise, Sunggyu walked up to him and took his covers off him, staring into the ocean and the sinking sun “I have” he said, and Woohyun turned to him with hopeful eyes. Sunggyu looked back at him and held his questioning look with a deep stare, but this time Woohyun didn’t feel like looking away, he let himself sink in the dark gaze, waiting for nothing, just staring back. But it was Sunggyu who spoke “You will too, if that’s what you crave for”

An excited gasp filled his lungs with air “I… Yes, I’ve always wanted…” he didn’t dare blink, fearing to lose the courage to keep staring into the sharp eyes “I just don’t know what I could find”

Sunggyu blinked slowly, the same stirring shook Woohyun inside as the golden light casted a beautiful glow in the other’s glance “I’ll show you then” the man said, a little tug at the side of his mouth the closest thing to a smile Woohyun had ever seen him wear.

 

 

* * *

He knew they were now in plain duty when he recognized the woods that surrounded the territory of the walled city. His heart was heavy with apprehension as the day started fading. Since they had arrived, they kept a slow walk, silent as shadows, lurking between the trees. He was feeling shivers down his spine while watching some merchants, little dots in the distance, walk the road to the port town. Even during the day, the scavengers were keeping a watch on them. The slight depression of the ground let them look over the whole extension from the side of the forest to the other, few miles away. The walled city stood grey and big to the north, nothing more than an amorphous figure hidden by the floating mist the humidity had raised.

The night approached them, and with its darkness, they started getting closer. Woohyun was feeling really anxious as the creature walked quietly out of the woods. They had they covers up and secure, their eyes darting around and their ears alert. Or he was trying to do so, but it became difficult with his growing nerves. Sunggyu seemed to be perfectly relaxed, if only attentive.

Hours passed, not a soul in the night besides the wild animals and themselves. Maybe the others were around too, who knew? He wanted to ask, but preferred to keep quiet. He was starting to feel cold, the night at its peak and the light of the moon shaded by the wet fog. He leaned closer to the other, daring pressing against his back a little. He found no rejection.

_How long are we going to do this?_ , he wondered, _how many nights are we going to spend like this? Is this the only area they guard?_ He kept his mind busy not to feel the sleep, sharpening his hearing to see if he could catch something else, squinting in the dark to try to see more. He didn’t realize he had let his head fall on Sunggyu’s shoulder until the man jerked, his head turning sharply to the side in almost perfect synchronization with his partner. Woohyun felt the tension grow and the sense of alert kick in inside him. He grew nervous again as Sunggyu leaned forward and low over his partner’s neck, throwing a hand back to grab his arm and pull him down too. The beast crouched and started advancing low near the ground, her paws made almost no sound as they moved quickly the opposite direction of the city. Woohyun could not see the walls anymore when they stopped, again near the borders of the woods. He could hear voices, a few men perhaps, their feet evident in the silence and the glow of a torch glaring not far away. They were coming closer, but still something like a mile away.

After waiting some time in silence and watching the men still moving towards them, the creature vibrated notoriously under his legs, and a deep, chilling growl bubbled from her throat. The men fell quiet immediately, the light of the torch stalled. They waited, Woohyun remembering when Dongwoo told him they tried to scare them off sometimes and praying these men would turn around and go away. But he had no such luck, instead he heard steal unsheathed and voices again. The creature growled again, louder this time, it was a clear warning, Woohyun felt it, but the men didn’t seem to care.

He heard Sunggyu sigh sharply and then felt his hand patting his leg “Down and in the woods” he ordered.

The animal was still crouched so it was a simple matter of stepping down and walking back until he reached the trees. He was feeling tensed up from head to toes, he knew the warning had been sent and ignored, the outcome he had hoped he would not witness was about to unfold. He leaned against a cold trunk, his hands gripping the coarse wood. He could see Sunggyu clearly, a silent shape moving closer to the light without the men realizing. He saw him stop a few yards away from the last reach of the light, then started rounding on them like a predator. He felt shivers run down his spine when he heard the chains rattle in the night. How could these men not see him? He was right behind them! His skin broke in chills as the men started looking around, blades out and still stubbornly moving forward, unaware of the presence following them closely.

The air got stuck in his throat when he saw Sunggyu straightening up and the animal stand tall and threatening, her paws breaking into the circle of light finally from the side. The men took two seconds to notice the looming danger that was standing right beside them, but it was enough for Sunggyu to slice one of them down like a puppet. He hadn’t seen when he had taken his blade out, but both of them were in his hands now. The remaining men broke apart, some screams of horror and clangs of metal. Two of them ran away, the remaining three tried to put up a fight. Woohyun actually closed his eyes then, still hearing the calls of fear of the three and the hurried feet of the two runaways.

When he opened them again, he saw the torch on the ground, the fire flickering weak on a patch of humid earth. He saw Sunggyu on his feet and his partner behind him, looming over limp bodies. Then he saw the silhouettes running, they were stumbling and slipping, slow and clumsy, but in his direction. He felt like screaming at them, because they kept moving in the wrong direction, but the realization that they were going straight towards him froze him in place. The sound of chains took his attention back to Sunggyu, and he saw for the first time the use he made of them. He had one in his hand, a sharp hooked blade at the end, and started swinging it with growing speed. He didn’t want to see, but at the same time, his astonishment kept his eyes wide as Sunggyu sped up the chain in his hand and then, with a few quick steps, threw it with amazing ability towards the running men, effectively earning a pained scream from one of them and then pulling sharply. The second man was yards away from Woohyun when he saw the horrible blade appear out of nowhere and the chain wrapping with deathly speed around his neck. Woohyun was able to shut his eyes then. The choked gurgle and rustle of the man being dragged back fading away.

He was hunched behind the tree, unwilling to look back and feeling his stomach heavy and uneasy. He heard steps getting close, and thought how he was supposed to react to Sunggyu now. He thought of just running away, refusing this _duty_ of theirs and go back to fear them, as he probably should. But he didn’t find it in him to do so. He waited as he heard the sounds of steel and feet, some rustle of fabric and the paws of the beast along something being dragged. Then he saw a pair of legs beside him. He ignored them for a while, expecting the man to pull him up or something, but he waited. Silence was only broken by the rustling of the beast and whatever she was doing nearby, he remained still in his place for a long while, not acknowledging the man standing beside him, but growing increasingly uncomfortable and restless.

When he finally sighed and looked up, he found Sunggyu looking down at him, as he had expected, but what he did not expect was the slightly worried look in his eyes.

“If it makes it any better” he said softly “They were bandits”

“I…” he took a deep breath to settle his stomach “I don’t think it does”

Sunggyu nodded and turned around, extending a hand to rub his partner’s head as she walked close “You’ll understand… At some point”

“How is it that you know everything that’ll happen to me?” he spat.

Sunggyu turned back to him, his eyes now sharp and hard as the very first time he saw them. He didn’t say anything, though, just blinked the harshness away and offered a hand to Woohyun.

Even if Woohyun would have wanted nothing but to hide for the rest of the night, they returned to their rounds. He could not hide his displeasure and discomfort, but when Sunggyu told him to step back for a while, he surprised himself by rejecting the offer. It seemed to puzzle the man a bit, and he took some strange pride on that fact.

 

 

* * *

The clouds had finally covered the sky by the following morning, rain was going to fall down at any time. They were catching up on sleep on the other side of the woods, near the place where he had met the other guys in their first trip. He was having trouble sleeping, though, didn’t know if it was the weather or the memories of the previous night but suspecting it was probably a bit of both. Sunggyu was near him, wrapped in his heavy cloak and breathing evenly, his partner curled up right beside him, offering one of her big paws as a pillow. It was the first time Woohyun had seen any of them sleep, and it ignited a strange sense of longing in him. Weather is was for the beast's warmth, or perhaps the man's, he didn't know. He tried relaxing again as he watched them, and he managed to fall asleep.

The storm woke him up, though, and the shreds of a dream once more escaped his mind as he came back to the real world. It reminded him of his first night at the house, the feeling of anxiety again bubbling in him, the expectance and restlessness jerking at his legs. He heard something near him, a low sound that reached deep inside him. He turned to the woods and sat up, feeling his heart beating a little faster and his breathing working up. He searched in the shadows, unable to see much more than vague shapes in the dimmed glow. Something moved behind the trees, he felt fear crawling over him, and shifted back towards the two sleeping figures beside him. He tried calling out for Sunggyu, but his voice failed him when a big form surged from between the trunks.

A silent flash of light illuminated a big head and pointed ears, a pair of intense eyes nailed to his. His hand found purchase on Sunggyu’s and tightened around it. The beast moved closer, its advance smooth but extremely cautious, the eyes wide and alert, almost surprised. Woohyun thought the animal would jump at him, its movements were disturbingly similar to those of a predator about to hunt, but somewhere inside him, a new feeling of curiosity and expectation started spreading over the fear. He felt the storm quiet down and the animal became neater to his eyes. Its posture and steps were not as threatening; it looked more scared than anything else. He let out a breath and blinked at it, doubting for only a second before shyly extending a trembling hand towards it. The creature flinched back, passing its big eyes from his hand to his face, and then, slowly, it raised its head to touch the hand with its wet nose.

A warm current soothed his whole being as he stared into those big, bright eyes, his palm flattened over the animal’s head as it walked close to him. It approached until their faces were a scarce bunch on inches apart, then it blinked the big eyes closed and nuzzled against his hand. A soft, low rumble surged from it as it lowered to the ground, placing its big, heavy head on Woohyun’s lap. He kept stroking the soft, short fur under his fingers, ignoring the cold water pouring over them, the shivers running up and down, the wind and the darkness. All he could see was this creature resting next to him, feeling its warmth radiating in waves, hearing the contented sounds it emitted and letting his mind wrap around the fact that what he thought impossible was actually happening at such speed. He felt nothing but peace and rightfulness all over him.

A pleasant sensation flowed in him, lifting the shadows and sharp edges of his thoughts and making him feel in place.

At some point, he fell asleep again, feeling warm and safe.

“I told you you’d be fine” he thought he had heard, he wasn’t sure, though.

 

 

* * *

It wasn’t as simple as the others had made it seem, but definitely easier that he expected. The shock and incredulity lasted very little before the relief took place. He felt accomplished in some way, and a little amused as he watched the two creatures measuring each other with cautious gestures. In no time, though, they were both comfortable as if they were born together.

“She seems really energetic” Sunggyu commented as watched both animals fool around like pups.

“Oh, it’s a she?”

“Yes, you didn’t notice?”

“I… I didn’t pay attention”

“Well, now you can finally know their names”

“Their names? Oh, right! So, how is yours called?” he asked curiously.

“Don’t you want to name her, first?”

“I get to do that?”

“Yes, their names are just a way we chose to call them, and they accept to respond to it for us”

“I see… So I can call her however I want?”

“As long as she likes it” the man shrugged.

“Ohh…” he looked at his new partner, feeling a sudden surge of warmth as he watched her nuzzle her head against Sunggyu’s partner’s neck.

They decided it best to head back to the house for the time being, and Sunggyu took the opportunity to make him try to ride the beast. He refused at first, unsure about it, but the man insisted and had him trying to communicate with her in no time. It took him little time to climb up, his partner seemed eager to offer her help, but without Sunggyu to hold on to, his nerves sent him crashing down sooner than he’d like.

Pride hurt and bones aching, he was about to dismiss the whole thing, but the soft snort he heard from Sunggyu prompted him to try again. He was far from graceful or steady, he surely looked frightened and wobbly, but he was starting to get the basics of it. He tried to inconspicuously watch how Sunggyu did it and copy his ways, but the man made it look so simple and natural he found himself underestimating the difficulty and sliding down the side of the animal. The other rider’s hand caught him by the arm in time, luckily, and so they decided to slow down and go easy, Sunggyu lending him the saddle and straps and riding bareback as if it were the same for him. It probably was. Woohyun’s partner seemed uncomfortable with all the equipment on her, but put up with it without much complaint and a few warning nibbles of Sunggyu’s friend.

They were just reaching the second stretch of forest on their way, and he was busying himself with stroking the animal’s neck, watching how shiny it looked in its rich auburn color, when the idea came to him.

“I’ll call you like my mother” he said, to whet the animal tilted his head slightly “How about that?”

“I don’t think that’d be good” Sunggyu said beside him.

“Why not?” the man remained quiet, his lips pursued in a new gesture “You don’t even know how she was called, maybe she’ll like it”

“It’s not that…”

“Then what?” a strange silence again. He sighed and turned to the animal beneath him “What do you think about it?” he tried, still feeling a little silly talking with a creature like that “Her name was Sooyoung” he offered, but the animal grunted shortly and huffed. Woohyun thought it sounded like a negative, but the fact that he had been answered so easily amazed him over the slight dejection “Do they understand everything we tell them?” he asked Sunggyu.

“Mostly, as long as you speak to them directly”

“And if I don’t?”

“They might not pay attention to what you say at all”

“Should I keep trying names, then?”

“As many as you’d like” the man shrugged.

Woohyun did so, throwing names that occurred to him and having them rejected one after the other. He gave up at some point, preferring to concentrate on staying on the back of the animal and not meet the ground as harshly again. It was hard to believe how quickly he was getting used to having her company, how easy it resulted for him to understand the body language when she tried to transmit something. He wondered if that was because she was his partner, because it hadn’t been so easy with the other creatures, not even close.

“They didn’t try to” Sunggyu explained when he asked.

“But they kept looking at me, as if they were trying to say something”

“They were just looking at you”

“So you understand what any of them try to… say?”

“Mostly”

“Will I be able to understand all of them too?”

“With time, I suppose”

“Do you understand her?” he signaled to his own partner.

Sunggyu glanced at the animal and tilted his head slightly, his nose scrunching softly. It made him look almost as one of them, and Woohyun was smiling before he could realize “Yes” Sunggyu said, breaking the little lapse of distraction.

“How long did you spend with her alone?” he questioned impulsively.

“A while”

“Oh” he fell quiet, not sure what to make of the vague answer “Who was the first of the others to join you?”

“Howon”

He blinked confused “Who?”

“Howon” the other repeated.

“Oh, am I going to meet him too?”

“You did”

“But… Who is he, then?”

Sunggyu looked at him with a raised eyebrow “Howon” he said again, his tone a little annoyed, if Woohyun had to say.

“I… I don’t think I understand you”

Sunggyu frowned and tilted his head again, Woohyun bit his lips not to smile at the sight again but then the other breathed a little ‘oh’ and his eyebrows shot up “Right, it’s Hoya for you”

“Hoya! Why do you call him Howon, then?”

“It’s his name”

“Bu-… Uh, forget it. So he was the first one of you”

“Second”

“Second. After him?”

“Dongwoo”

“And then?”

“Myungsoo”

“After Myungsoo” he sighed, wishing he would just tell him the whole story at once.

“Sungjong, obviously”

“Uh, you’re right. And then Sungyeol, right?”

“He’s not like us”

“But he’s with you”

“He is”

“So he’s one of you, right?”

“In some way”

“What did you think when Myungsoo brought him to you?”

“Tried to kill him”

Woohyun gaped at the man, before remembering who it was that he was talking to and shaking his head with a heavy sigh “Right” he mumbled.

“It’s my duty, Woohyun”

“I know”

“I do not enjoy killing people”

“I’m not saying that”

“Don’t think so either”

“I’m… I don’t”

“Good”

“It’s just… Is there no other way?”

Sunggyu sighed sharply, and Woohyun might have flinched at the sound “I’m not the one you should ask”

“Who, then?”

“I don’t know”

It was Woohyun’s turn to sigh again. They remained in silence for a long while, already deep into the forest once more. He relished in the feeling of calm the place gave him, the presence of his partner and Sunggyu near him putting him at peace with everything else. He took a glance to the man, steady and graceful as ever as he rode pleasantly, his face serious but relaxed, the hood down and his face clear, his hair soft looking and his eyes fixed ahead. Would he ever get to fully understand him? It couldn’t be so hard, the most he spent with him, the clearer he found the man’s every little gesture. He didn’t need to speak, he could see it in his face, in the way he pursued his mouth, the way he stood, the way he looked at him. He still confused him sometimes, there were lots of holes and blanks in his knowledge, but he planned to fill those, with some time. He nodded at his own decision, smiled to no one, but then Sunggyu turned to look at him and he had to look away, a fuzzy feeling tickling his chest and a silly grin in his face.

 

 

* * *

The other five men were at the house when they arrived, and they all crowded in excitement when they saw Woohyun approach riding on his own partner. A jumble of congratulations and complaints surrounded them as then stepped down and moved to the entrance. After some minutes of cheery disorder, they let the animals to their own affairs and entered the house. He felt a little anxious not being able to see his partner, but they all told him it was normal and he’d get used to it.

“Do not worry, she’s probably meeting the rest of them. They’ll get along just fine” Sungjong reassured him. “She looks really pretty, by the way”

“Oh, thank you, I suppose” he smiled.

“And you were riding already, that was Sunggyu, am I right?” Hoya (or Howon) laughed.

“Yeah, he would not let me ride with him anymore”

“Hell, as strict as ever” the man shook his head in mock disapproval.

“Well, you won’t miss that, in any case” Sungjong clicked his tongue.

“I personally don’t” Hoya said grimly.

“Why?”

“The guy would run rampant with me behind him” he answered, sounding outraged “He had me falling more often than not, and they he would glare at me for making him go back to pick me up again” he scoffed “You have no idea how glad I was when I was able to ride on my own”

Woohyun couldn’t help to laugh “But he never ran with me along”

“Of course not, he has a soft spot for you, for reasons I cannot fathom” Dongwoo butted in with a toothy smile.

“That’s just unfair” Sungjong complained.

“He does?” Myungsoo asked, staring at him with burning intensity.

“I don’t know” he shrugged dismissively, knowing enough of Myungsoo’s possessive strike to avoid the subject.

“Where is he anyway?” Sungyeol mumbled.

“Who knows? He could be anywhere for all we know” Hoya shrugged “Maybe even back at the borders for another round”

“Well, one of us should, at least” Sungjong grunted.

“We’ll be warned, anything were to happen” the other waved him off.

“You’re not the only ones guarding, right?”

“Not the only ones, no”

“There are other then?”

“Yes, but our group is done with you, I’m guessing”

“Done?”

“Yes, this is all there going to be I think”

“So, there will be no new people in?”

“Don’t think so”

“Are there other groups nearby?”

“More or less, but they guard to the north. There are also some closer to the core of the lands, some on the coastline and then more guarding the other side”

“Heavens, there are a lot, then”

“You could say” Dongwoo shrugged “We keep an eye on the eastern side along the ones near the mountains”

“We get to be close to the ocean, though” Sungjong said with a triumphant smile.

“Do you often meet the others?”

“Sometimes, yes” the young one nodded.

“And do you travel a lot?”

“Not much, we have a border to keep” Hoya sounded a little regretful.

“But Sunggyu said-“

“Sunggyu told you about it?”

“Something like that”

“Well, look at that” he hummed “Yes, he has traveled more than any of us for several reasons. He likes to travel around”

“I’d like to join him sometime”

“I doubt he’d let you” Hoya snorted.

“He told me he’d show me”

The table fell quiet, the five pair of eyes fixed on him “He did?” Myungsoo asked, to what Woohyun suddenly stood up and patted his trousers.

“I think I’ll go see how are the… Uh, how’s my partner out there”

As he walked out the main door, he heard some laughter and banter from inside. The night was still cold, the place looked empty, but a little metallic noise brought his attention to the building in the back. He walked over, stumbling over rocks and holes in the ground, and found Sunggyu fumbling with some of the weapons on the table.

“What are you doing?” he asked.

The man turned to him and watched him for a few seconds, then went back to his business.

Woohyun shrugged it off and walked closer, peaking over the other’s shoulder. There were a few short swords displayed, and other smaller blades. Some inexplicable reason prompted him to let his chin fall on the man’s shoulder as he watched him pick up and drop blade after blade, but he got no reaction. The smell of earth and metal filled his nostrils, the faint hint of leather and the dusty scent of the animals mixed in, the smell of the woods were not as strong but still there.

“Here” Sunggyu brought him back from his distraction and made him blink his eyes open.

“What?”

“Hold” the man was handing him a short sword.

“Why?”

“Hold” the other insisted, his tone still even.

He took the blade and felt it heavier than he thought and a little hard to manipulate. Before he could say anything, Sunggyu took it from him and handed him another one. He kept doing it for a while, giving him one after the other and making him move it and even swing some. Woohyun felt clumsy and silly, but did as told patiently.

“Will you really take me along if you go on a trip?” he asked after the second try at hitting a piece of wood with a slender blade and failing.

“Yes”

“The others seemed surprised that you would” he got a hum as answer “Am I supposed to use any of these?” he tried, eyeing the object in his hands.

“Yes”

“But I can’t even hit that little plank” he mumbled.

“You will learn”

“Will you teach me?”

“Yes”

“They say you’re strict”

“I suppose I am”

“Reassuring”

“It’s been effective so far”

“I haven’t seen any of them in a fight, are they good?”

“More than good” the other answered with a hint of pride, and Woohyun smiled at that.

“You taught all of them?”

“Yes”

“Who taught you?”

Sunggyu stopped and looked up at him with a thoughtful look “Just… someone”

“Alright” he nodded “Were they also strict?”

“I don’t know”

“Were they good?”

“Yes”

“Do you still see them?”

“Rarely”

“You miss them?”

“Yes”

They both seemed surprised by the response, Sunggyu’s eyes going wide and blinking before he refocused on the weapons. Woohyun decided to drop the matter there, feeling it was just enough to have pried that out of the other and instead tried to hit the damned piece of wood for once.

\--

They were walking towards the sharp depression that preceded the last stretch to the ocean, their partners were nor far ahead, their playful growling reaching them in the night. Woohyun had wanted to see the water again, wanted to get closer and see the moon and stars reflected on it, as he had heard the merchants tell. Sunggyu had agreed easily and the two animals had wordlessly surged from the nearby trees to join them.

As they walked, he could feel the weight of the chosen blade on his belt, it was a heavy reminder of the life that lied ahead of him, and the life all those friendly guys had been carrying for years. They still looked human to him, still cheerful and gentle in their own ways, it was hard to believe that so many people had succumbed to their hands. How many had there really been? If all the deaths and disappearances adjudicated to the scavengers were not truly theirs to claim, then how many had been murdered by wild animals, or maybe bandits? Even by the city’s authorities command?... What had really happened to his brother? And his father? They had said there had been bandits who had killed his father, was that true? And what about his brother then? They had never found him again, only his horse had showed up. Had he walked to close to the border? Hadn’t he heard the growl of warning? The chains in Sunggyu’s belt? Maybe one of the other guys did it? He felt a heavy anguish tighten his chest.

“Can I ask you something?” he called to the man walking ahead of him.

“Sure”

“The people that disappeared outside the city, Dongwoo said it was half the city’s doing” Sunggyu hummed “Then the other half… was it you?”

“Maybe”

“You wouldn’t… remember the people you… took care of, right?”

Sunggyu turned around with a questioning look “Why?”

“I just lost… some important people to the outside and…”

“You really want to know if it was us?”

“I’m not sure”

“You don’t”

“I want to know what happened to them” he replied firmly.

“I cannot tell you that”

“Because you don’t know or you don’t want to tell me?” he stepped closer “Do you remember any of the people you kill out there?”

A sharp huff left the man as he scowled deeply “No”

“Not even the ones related to one of your own?”

“No”

Woohyun sighed, wondering if he was imagining the little discomfort in the other’s face “Are you lying to me?”

“I’m not” Sunggyu turned around, but Woohyun caught up to him.

“Then there’s something you’re not telling me, maybe?” he asked, sure he had seen that face on the other before, when he had asked about his mother’s name for his partner.

“No matter”

“No wait, is there something you know? Just please, tell me” Sunggyu seemed to falter a little, but then started walking again “Listen, I’m almost sure my father was attacked by bandits on his way back home from the port, but… My brother, he disappeared after going out to help out in a farm… No one ever found… He was responsible, he’d never wander to the woods at night, but… Maybe he had a reason… I just…”

They both stopped. A long sigh sounded beside him, and he saw Sunggyu running a hand though his hair. He feared for a second that he was right in his assumptions, and almost told him not to answer, wondering himself if he really wanted to know the truth.

There were some long seconds of heavy silence, the other man seemed to be struggling with something, and Woohyun was starting to lose his nerve.

“You know, don’t tell me” Sunggyu didn’t say anything “I think I can’t hear it from you… I guess that’s… I just needed to know”

“I’m sorry” he heard the other mumble.

He had to breathe deeply a few times to calm himself “Sorry?” there was no answer “Sorry for what?”

“Your brother” he found himself unable to reply, all his focus on keeping himself under control “I knew he had a little brother when I found him”

“What?” he snapped, turning around to face Sunggyu “You… What?”

“I didn’t know it was you, of course. I didn’t know about you until not long ago”

“How did you even know…? Never mind that, you found him? Where did you find him? What was he doing? Did you try to… to warn him at least?” he inquired, his voice raising and breaking at the same time.

“He was at some farm, helping out an old couple” Sunggyu started walking again, Woohyun had to force his legs to follow him “It was getting late and he was still there, he was asked to go inside for some reason and he went. By the time he finally left, the sun was gone and the night was almost there. I saw him hurrying, but he was too far away, he would not reach the city before dark”

“You were… watching him?”

Sunggyu nodded “I followed him closely”

“Why?” his voice was thin and weak “He was going back home!”

“I couldn’t let him”

“Why?!”

“I had to take him away”

“Just… Ugh, just tell me why!”

Sunggyu stopped walking, just a few yards from the sharp depression. He kept his gaze ahead, his face serious “He was to be one of us, Woohyun”

The wind brushed past them cold and soft, the soothing sound of the ocean filling the air along the rustle of the trees. It took him a while to understand what he had heard, and the mixed emotions inside of him.

“What?” he asked with a sliver of voice.

“I’m sorry I took your brother away, Woohyun, but I had no choice”

“You… So you… Picked him up?”

“Yes, I rode up to him and took him with me”

“What did he…?”

“He fought the whole way to the woods, thinking I was going to kill him or Anya was going to eat him”

“Anya?”

“I tried explaining him, but… I guess I’m not good with words” he shrugged “I had to knock him out and carry him unconscious. When he woke up, and even after he was properly explained things, he… He started crying saying his little brother would think him death”

“I…”

“You did”

“What was I supposed…? I mean he disappeared and…”

“I know, I’m sorry”

“No… Don’t… I thought…”

“That I’d killed him?”

“I… Well yes”

Sunggyu hummed “I guess it’s expected”

“No”

“No need to lie, I know it is” he turned to him “It was the first and only time I had taken away a child with a proper family, a child that did not want to leave. I’m sort of glad you came along too”

“Me too” he watched as Sunggyu turned ahead again “Is he still alive, then? Why is he not with you?”

“He is alive, but not here”

“Where?”

“There are other groups of us”

“I heard”

“He’s on the other side, the western side”

“Oh, heavens, I cannot believe it”

“It’s far away, I know”

“No” he chuckled through the knot in his throat “He’s still alive”

“Oh, well yes”

He let out a long breath and felt the tension flow out, feeling years of mourning just vanish in the wind and leaving him lightheaded. He didn’t know if he wanted to hit the other man for making him believe he had murdered his brother, or hug him in thanks for giving him such wonderful news. He did know actually, he just didn’t dare. He swallowed and cleared his throat, the emotive moment still hanging at his soul. When he looked up, he found Sunggyu looking at him again, his eyes still holding a little of the worry he nursed. He smiled at the man, then felt warm fingers on his cheek, a thumb gently brushing a lone tear under his eye. He needed no words to understand the look in the other man’s eyes, so he took the rough hand in his own and shook his head.

“It’s alright, I don’t hold it against you. You just gave me the best news I had in a long while” he smiled again.

“I did?”

“You did”

“I’m glad then”

He nodded “You’ll take me see him if you ever go that way?”

“Of course”

“And… My mother’s name… When I asked you…”

“It’s the name he tried giving his partner”

He let out a congested snort “Of course”

“He said he would have named it Woohyun if it were a male”

“Ah, hell, don’t…” he sniffed “you’re going to make me cry, damn” A low hum preceded the gentle hand stroking his hair, and he could not help a short laugh “Why do you do that?”

Sunggyu stared at him and shrugged “I don’t know”

“Do you treat everyone like kids?”

“No. You just… make me want to” the hand stalled, a single thumb kept rubbing on his temple “Does it bother you?”

“No” the other nodded “Can I then?”

“What?”

Woohyun laughed before reaching out and petting Sunggyu’s hair “This” he smiled amused by the look of puzzlement in the other’s face. He let his hand slide down until he touched the man’s pale cheeks, then rubbed his thumb over the surprisingly soft skin.

He didn’t know what reaction to expect, but was pleasantly surprised when the man’s face softened and a soft sigh escaped his mouth. The air stuck to his neck, though, when a beautiful, full smile changed Sunggyu’s features in a way he had never seen. He could not tame the slight tremble in his hands or the swelling in his chest. _Is this… Is this really it? Is this what I’ve feeling all along? The longing, the warmth_ , he felt confused, but his heart was going crazy inside of him, his skin burning under the touch. _Then so be it_ , he thought. He could not explain the how or why, but neither could he stop himself from stepping closer and leaning in, his eyes falling closed as he pulled Sunggyu’s face closer and pressed his lips onto his. Part of him mind was fearing a shove or a punch, but the rest of him relished in the feel of those chapped lips moving against his own, Sunggyu’s hands dropping to his arms and the warmth of his body spreading to his own. He didn’t want to let go, refused to stop, he wrapped his arms around the other’s back and pulled him even closer…

“Holy hell and damn the heavens!”

Woohyun jumped out of his skin from the startle, and he felt Sunggyu react the same way. A loud gasp and some curses followed. He turned around, already knowing what to expect, and found three pair of eyes almost comically wide and staring at him.

Dongwoo was the first to recover, his laugh flowing out of him as water in a river “I knew it! Good thing we didn’t tell Myungsoo to come”

“The hell was that?” Hoya was still stunned and rooted in place.

“That was Sunggyu finally finding company for his rounds” Sungjong said, his face still showing surprise.

Woohyun felt his face burn but could not help the little smile. He turned to Sunggyu and noted the flustered expression painfully evident in the moonlight. The man turned to him, close enough for him no see the embarrassment dusting his pale cheeks. He stopped himself from pecking the pursued lips again and instead smiled wider at him, struggling to come to terms with the way his life had turned upside down in so little time, with the presence of the burning feeling boiling pleasantly inside of him as he watched the ever confusing man become a shy child beside him. He had not expected to experience these kind of emotions, live these situations, held such affection for these people, for this man, to become part of the stories that had intrigued his mind for years.

But, after all, he had always loved the tales.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And you reached the end!
> 
> Hope you enjoyed ;)


End file.
